Andy Murray rival who 'committed sackable offence' at Wimbledon absent after making history

It's nearly two years since Liam Broady etched his name into British tennis history at Wimbledon. The 31-year-old delivered a thrilling five-set triumph over then world No.4 Casper Ruud at the All England Club, becoming the first British wildcard to defeat a top-five player at a Grand Slam during the Open Era.

Broady, who couldn't secure qualification for this year's tournament, met Ruud in the second round at Wimbledon following his opening victory against France's Constant Lestienne in 2023. The Briton seized the opening set against Ruud en route to a shock 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 win.

However, whilst the first set remained finely poised, it was jokingly suggested that Broady had committed a "sackable offence". BBC commentator Andrew Castle believed Broady, who also became known for his online exchanges with Andy Murray, would come to regret an error after choosing a poorly-timed trick shot.

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As Broady sought to draw level in the opening set at 3-3, Ruud attempted a lob that failed to end a gripping rally. Instead of returning a straightforward lob to his rival, Broady tried a backhand while turned away from his opponent, which went out and didn't impress Castle or his coach David Sammel.

"His coach is going, 'Don't do that, you could have lobbed that easily,'" Castle said, as reported by the Express. "The crowd loved it but he had plenty of time to get back and at least have a chance of winning the point.

"If he loses this point, his coach will be writing that one down and remembering that one. That is a sackable offence." Luckily for Broady, ranked 142nd in the world at the time, he clinched the first set and ultimately triumphed on Centre Court.

Broady climbed to a career-best ranking of 95th in September 2023, just months after his win over Rudd. Yet, it wasn't just his on-court prowess that caught attention; his online banter with former doubles partner Murray has often made headlines.

In August 2024, Broady shared a post on X: "There's a kid on this flight with an iPad, watching a tv show in the top left corner of the screen with subtitles on. All whilst playing a video game on the full screen. Is this me getting old thinking that's unhealthy for their brain?"

Murray couldn't resist a cheeky dig, as he recalled a past encounter with Broady. "I remember once seeing this kid playing a computer game in the lobby of a hotel in Antwerp on his laptop, headphones on with microphone attached," Murray wrote.

"Speaking to his friends whilst using WhatsApp with his free hand. His name was Liam Broady and look how he turned out... Spanner." Broady took the jibe in stride: "Guilty as charged," he replied.

Broady, now sporting a beard and longer hair, has made it to the main draw at Wimbledon seven times in his career. However, he failed to return this year for the first time since 2019 after losing a qualifying match to Hamish Stewart in June.

Despite this setback, Broady seems to have bounced back, having celebrated winning a doubles title last week. Alongside fellow Brit Charlie Robertson, the duo clinched the M25 doubles title in Elvas, Portugal.

Broady is currently ranked 557th in men's singles by the ATP, placing him 25th among British players. His most recent singles title was won in March at the M15 Foggia event on the ITF Tour.