Tennis legend Andy Murray and his epic commitment to Olympic pin collecting at Paris 2024
Not only is Andy Murray relentless on the tennis court but also, apparently, when it comes to Olympic pin collecting.
Team GB's three-time Olympic medallist, including gold at London 2012 and Rio 2016 in men's singles, is at Paris 2024 competing in the men's doubles in what he has said will be his last-ever competitive event.
He'll retire with three Grand Slam titles and is hoping for an additional Olympic gong alongside Dan Evans in the men's doubles, in which the pair have already created a typical Murray moment in a fightback from five match points down in the first round against Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel to progress.
Murray and Evans play the Belgian pair of Joran Vliegen and Sander Gille on Tuesday (30 July).
But win or lose, Murray has already turned his attention outside the confines of Roland Garros, where the tournament is taking place, in his quest to collect Olympic pins.
Andy Murray, the Olympic pin-trading king
Pin trading is not new. Fans and media join athletes in adding official National Olympic Committee pins and other Olympic-branded versions to their collections.
At Paris 2024, Simone Biles, has even brought her own signature pin, which is fast becoming a collector's item.
And Murray, of course, has even managed to get his racquet-calloused hands on one, after British gymnast Becky Downie posted: '@andymurray worked some magic for you", alongside a picture of the heart-shaped pin, the centre-piece, Biles' signature plus heart.
"Thank you so much," responded Murray, next to an enthused smiley face emoji, quite the antithesis to his renowned on-court persona.
One person not happy with this turn of events is Eurosport commentator Laura Robson, the former player who won mixed doubles silver with Murray at London 2012.
As perhaps anticipated from elite athletes, the former teammates have turned pin collecting into a competition, with Robson even revealing the extent to which Murray will go to obtain even the most elusive of pins.
"There's one athlete from Liechtenstein and [Andy] was searching the village high and low for him to try and find this poor man," she laughed.
Murray, of course, managed to find Romano Puentener, who came 28th in the men's mountain bike competition on Monday (29 July) at his debut Olympics. Unsurprisingly, Puentener was also his nation's flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony.
"[Andy] tracked him down, he's got it, and it was like he had won the Olympic gold," continued Robson. "Honestly, he came in and was showing everyone, 'Look what I've got'.
"It's a bit unfair in a way, because it is a competition, and because he's Andy Murray everyone wants to give him a pin."