Dhaka, Jan. 12 -- The outpouring of sadness and respect in Britain over the news of Andy Murray's imminent retirement makes it easy to forget the emotional barrier that existed for so long between the Scottish tennis great and sports fans in his own country.

Grumpy, sulky, petulant, cold. That was the initial view toward Murray, who will end his career - sometime this year, it seems - as one of Britain's greatest ever sportspeople as well as a champion of equality, a role model and a shining example of how to maximize talent.

It was a tearful Murray who said Friday his battle with a long-standing hip injury was making his day-to-day life a "struggle." And it was tearful performance on Wimbledon's Centre Court years ago which finally per...