A tennis collection object, specifically the racket used by Andy Murray during his victory in the Wimbledon 2013 men’s singles final against Novak Djokovic, has fetched a significant price at a recent auction.
A historical object
The racket, key to Murray’s triumph with a score of 6-4, 7-5 and 6-4, sold for $73,200 (including the buyer’s commission) through Goldin Auctions. This price sets a new record for an Andy Murray item auctioned.Murray’s victory in 2013 was a milestone, marking the first time in 76 years that a British tennis player had won the Wimbledon tournament. Previously, Fred Perry had achieved this feat in 1934, 1935, and 1936. Murray repeated his success in 2016. In the women’s category, Virginia Wade is the last British woman to win Wimbledon, achieving victory in 1977.The auction lot included a letter of authenticity from Resolution Photomatching, certifying the use of the racket in the Wimbledon final, as well as in Murray’s second-round and semi-final matches. The letter also specified that the racket was used in a match on June 26, before the start of the tournament.The auction generated intense competition, with 49 bids from its opening on August 29th until its closing.The highest price paid for a tennis racket at auction corresponds to a Babolat racket used by Rafael Nadal during the 2017 French Open final, which sold for more than $157,000 in June.
