The 18-year-old from Dunblane, Stirlingshire, appeared inconsolable after his gruelling third-round defeat at the hands of the No 18 seed.
However, agents acting for the sport’s biggest stars believe his impressive Wimbledon debut could earn him up to £60m in winnings, endorsements and sponsorship over the next 10 years. Murray has already been inundated with sponsorship offers following his performances last week.
Despite being almost unknown outside the tennis world at the start of the tournament, having played just four senior games and being ranked 312th in the world, Murray is now regarded as one of Britain’s most bankable sports stars.
His new legion of fans includes Sir Sean Connery, who cheered every winning shot on Centre Court last night. His mother Judy and father William, who was making his first appearance at the tournament, also cheered on their son.
Murray’s agent is already negotiating deals with three companies who want to join his existing sponsors: Royal Bank of Scotland, Robinson’s, Head and Fred Perry. His sponsorship contracts contain clauses guaranteeing him significant bonuses for winning major tournaments and climbing the world rankings.
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In common with most top tennis players, his earnings from prize money are likely to be eclipsed by those from endorsements. Maria Sharapova, the winner of last year’s Wimbledon women’s singles title, is estimated to have earned more than £4.9m through sponsorship deals with companies including Canon, Colgate-Palmolive, Motorola, TAG Heuer, Nike, Pepsi and Honda.
Tim Henman, who has never won a men’s grand slam title, is estimated to have earned £6m in prize money and almost £14m in sponsorship deals with Jaguar, Adidas, Slazenger, Robinson’s and Ariel.
Andre Agassi, the biggest earner in tennis, has made much of his £165m fortune through sponsorship deals with companies including American Express, 24 Hour Fitness and Nike.
Ken Meyerson, the president of SFX Tennis, the management firm that represents players including Agassi and Andy Roddick, believes Murray could earn £6m a year for a decade if he gets into the top 30 in the next two years.
“If he is a good player and backs it up like Henman or (Greg) Rusedski then that sort of money is achievable,” said Meyerson. “For him to become a great player we would expect him to be in the top 25 or 30 before the age of 20. If he gets into that position and gets to the semi-finals, finals or wins a grand slam then he will do very well financially.”
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Jon Smith, who runs the sports management agency First Artists — which has brokered some of the biggest commercial deals in British sport and represents 200 footballers in the UK — said: “Win or lose, there should be seven figures in it for him. The problem in the British sporting arena is that we don’t have many heroes these days. We are crying out for a hero in a sport that we feel we are an architect of. Whatever he achieves will have added gravitas in the sporting sponsorship world because we haven’t had a hero in years. Even if we get a three-quarters star we will pay him as though he were a fully-fledged star. It’s all about timing and his timing is perfect.
“To have icon status he has to win one grand slam and to be a superstar he will have to win them with some regularity. Tiger Woods hasn’t won a lot recently but he is still an icon because everyone knows he is sensational. Fred Perry only ever won one Wimbledon in 1936 but he is still remembered today because we haven’t had another winner.”
Many British tennis fans have already switched their allegiance to Murray, following Henman’s ill-tempered departure from the tournament, his earliest since 1995. Henman Hill, a vantage point for thousands of the Englishman’s supporters over the years, has already been renamed Murray Field.
Yesterday hundreds of fans gathered on the grassy slope to cheer Murray. Waving Saltires and Union Jacks, they chanted: “Murray for ever, Murray for ever, he’s gonna have it. We’re gonna get there.”
Matthew Leech, 18, from Southampton, said: “Andrew Murray’s got that killer instinct and determination that Henman’s never had. He’s much more exciting to watch. He showed a lot of courage and determination out there. I was amazed at some of it, it was a truly incredible performance.”
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Liz Osborne, a PE teacher from Brighton, added: “The atmosphere out here when we thought he was going to win was euphoric but towards the end everyone sensed the inevitable. It was a really gutsy, stunning performance. He was brilliant — an inspiration to us all. It’s just such a shame he didn’t make it.”
Legendary players also lined up to pay tribute to Murray. Jimmy Connors, the winner of eight grand slam titles, said: “He has proven that he has the talent. The future certainly is bright for this young man. The sky’s the limit from what I can see. One of the most enjoyable things for me is the way he showed his emotion and love for being on the Centre Court.
“Murray will take so many valuable lessons away from this that his mind will be spinning. His game is tremendous, he has got all the shots. He has power, finesse and very good first serve. His whole game, at 18 years old, is very mature. When he improves his conditioning and strength and incorporates that into his game, he will be spectacular.”
John Lloyd, the former British No 1, paid tribute to Murray’s achievements at the All England Club. “No doubt about it, he is going to be a great player,” he said. “He’s not afraid of anything. He’s his own boss. He’s almost ahead of his time. He has a great mind and a great attitude.”