Andy Murry has shared his heartbreak after his “loyal” and “protective” family companion, his Border Terrier called Rusty, sadly passed away.

The former Wimbledon champion, who retired from professional sport earlier this year, took to Instagram to share the sad news. 

Sharing a sweet photo of his late dog, Andy, 37, penned a sweet tribute to his canine companion. 

“You were the most loyal and protective companion our family could have wished for,” he began. “You were so patient and gentle with the kids and we all learned so much from you.”

The Grand Slam legend shares his £5 million Surrey home with his wife Kim and their four children; Sophia, Edie, a third daughter whose name has not been confirmed, and one son, Teddy. 

“The house feels empty without you in it,” Andy continued. “The noise you made when you wanted a plate to lick or a biscuit to chew on or when you wanted anything for that matter was infuriating at times! But today we would do anything to hear it again.” 

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Adding a heartbreak emoji, the father-of-four ended his statement with: “Love you ruzz rest easy poppet x”. 

Fans soon flooded Andy’s post’s comments section with messages of support. “The saddest thing in life is losing a sweet loyal friend,” penned one fan, as another wrote: “Thinking of you! Nothing beats the love of a Border Terrier. They are the best. So sorry for your loss.” 

A third fan shared: “I’m so very sorry. We have a bonkers Border. They’re such special little dogs.” 

The sad news comes just two years after the family said goodbye to their beloved dog, another Border Terrier called Maggie May, who died in 2022. 

In 2021 he told PetsPyjamas that his dogs help him to “switch off” and that they would “win an award for loyalty – they are my biggest supporters, whether I win or lose, they still want to hang out with me

“Sometimes I find it hard to unwind after a match or if I’ve had a particularly tough training day, but I love taking them for walks or throwing a ball for them in the garden, or even just sitting with them on the sofa –  I find that helps me relax,” he added.