Few of us will ever know what it feels like to have the world desperate to know when we intend to retire. That’s the difficult situation Andy Murray finds himself in, however, with mounting speculation about when he will bow out of the game.

Murray gave the clearest indication of his estimated time of departure when he admitted he might have only a “few months” left, although he’d like to take part in this summer’s Olympics. Given his many comebacks of late, it would not be surprising if his professional departure was to become as protracted as Frank Sinatra’s.

Nevertheless, retirement is obviously at the forefront of his thoughts: “When the time is right I will probably say something before I play my last match”, he told the BBC. If that sounds like a statement of the obvious, it is not. Some world players have simply walked off court, leaving the crowd unaware they had just witnessed a historic swansong.

That’s the way I would prefer it, to be honest: no pre-match hullaballoo, no tearful courtside encomiums to fans and family. Rather, just the satisfying click of the changing room locker closing for the last time, and the stadium disappearing out of sight in the rear view mirror.

Andy Murray is one of Scotland's greatest ever sportspeople (Image: free)

On one level, the thought of Murray exiting is sad. It will mark the end of an extraordinary career, and leave the tennis world the poorer, as one of its greatest personalities departs the stage. On another, though, his position is enviable: a 36-year-old with enough money in the bank never........

© Herald Scotland