Earlier this week Andy Murray said he was heartbroken following the passing of his dog Rusty.
Murray, who retired from tennis earlier this year at the Paris Olympic Games, posted a touching tribute to his border terrier on Instagram. According to The Mirror newspaper, he and his wife Kim have had Rusty since 2011. The passing comes two years after the tennis star lost Maggie May, another border terrier of his.
“You were the most loyal and protective companion our family could have wished for,” Murray wrote. “You were so patient and gentle with the kids and we all learned so much from you.”
Rusty’s name was inspired by former tennis world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt who Murray admired when growing up. The Australian was nicknamed Rusty because he resembled a character from the National Lampoon film series with the same name.
“The house feels empty without you in it,” he continued. “The noise you made when you wanted a plate to lick or a biscuit to chew on or when you wanted anything for that matter was infuriating at times! But today we would do anything to hear it again.”
Murray is set to return to the Tour next year after being appointed Novak Djokovic’s coach for the upcoming Australian Open. This will be the Brit’s first taste of coaching with the two starting their work together during the off-season. In a recent interview with Ubitennis, Djokovic’s long-time friend and mentor Nenad Zemonjic believes the new partnership can be a success.
“They (Djokovic and Murray) know each other quite well and they’ve been playing against each other or together since they were kids.” He said.
“They have a similar style. Tactically, Andy was one of the best guys. So he can help him with a different view and different perspectives.
“This is something new for Andy. All the experience that he had with the different coaches in the past and him being a player going through similar situations on his own, it can definitely help.”
Murray won 46 ATP titles and earned over $64M in prize money during his career.
