Murray stepped towards the centre of the Olympic court and raised his hands. A smile lit his face for a split second. But then it was back to grumpiness as usual.

So ended the professional career of Andy Murray, one of Britain's greatest ever sportsmen. Minutes later, the LTAThe Lawn Tennis Association, the governing body for British tennis. announced they would rename the central court at Queen'sAn annual men's tennis tournament held at the Queen's Club in west London. in his honour.

Murray bagged some extraordinary achievements. He is the only player to win two Olympic gold medals in singles. He won 46 singles titles including three grand slamsThe Grand Slam tournaments, also known as the majors, are the four most important international professional tennis events. They are the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.  . And he became the first British player to be ranked world number one, a title he held for 41 weeks.

Yet there was almost always someone better. Murray shared his career with three of the greatest players of all time: Roger Federer (310 weeks at no 1 and 103 singles titles), Rafael Nadal (209 and 92), and Novak Djokovic (428 and 98). 

For a spell, Murray turned this Big Three into a Big Four. Nadal says: "He was very close to being at the same level as us." But his peak was brief. He is often left out of top player lists.

He was never handsome or charming. On court, he had a gruff, surly personality, snarling at teammates and opponents. His style of play was scrappy. Off court, however, he was renowned for his respectfulness and humour.

Yet Murray had something special: determination. He grew up in rural Scotland, far from the centres of professional tennis.¹ He was injured repeatedly - in the neck, wrists, elbows, hip, groin, abdomen, ankles and back - yet kept bouncing back. Journalist Oliver Brown says: "His entire career unfolded like one long, glorious howl of defiance."

This ability to fight on might make Murray a hero we can relate to. We might not have his sporting talent but we can adopt his attitude.

He caps a long list of indomitableStrong, or impossible to defeat. British heroes, from aviator Douglas Bader who continued to fly after losing a leg to the explorer Apsley Cherry-Garrard who survived the gruelling Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole.²

In sports, he joins Eddie the Eagle, the ski jumper who entered the Olympics for Britain despite a lack of previous professional experience.³ Or Darren Clarke, the 42-year-old golfer who won the US Open while ranked world no. 111.

Others would argue that sporting greatness should be about performance over character. They could claim that Murray pales in comparison to those who have reached the undisputed peak of their field, such as Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton or cyclist Laura Kenny.⁴

Classical heroes inspired poetry. Writers wax lyrical about Federer's poise and elegance.⁵ By the time he retired he was regarded as almost superhuman. The same cannot be said of Murray.

Is he Britain's greatest sporting hero?

Yes: There are others who have achieved greater success, albeit in more niche sports. But Murray's initiative, gumptionResourcefulness, or the ability to think about what to do in a situation and then do it. and desperation to beat the odds makes him a true hero and positive role model.

No: British commentators desperately want him to be one. But ultimately it is the winning that counts. We can admire and respect Murray, but the greatest sporting hero needs to stand at the very top.

Or... Sportspeople are not heroes. They spend their lives winning fame and fortune for doing something they love but has no social value. The real heroes are those fighting to make the world a better place.

FOR YOUR SUMMER READING CHALLENGE CLUE GO TO STEP SIX IN THE SIX STEPS TO DISCOVERY BELOW.