Andy Murray's Wimbledon might be over after he and Serena Williams were knocked out of the mixed doubles but the former champion still sees progress in his performances.
Paired with 39-time Grand Slam winner Williams, many thought the partnership would be the dream team but their Wimbledon crusade was cut short before the quarter-finals.
Top seeds Bruno Soares and Nicole Melichar proved too hot to handle for the two-time Wimbledon champion and the American great as they went down 6-3 4-6 6-2.
Murray is still cautiously recovering from hip surgery and while the US Open in September may yet come too soon for a return to singles, he is pleased with the progress at the All England Club this year.
“I have achieved a lot considering the lack of matches and I think I did OK,” said the 32-year-old.
“The most positive thing is that my body and my hip was feeling good.
“It's a lot of physical work now trying to get stronger and get a good balance with all of the muscles around my hip.
“But I have still got, like I said, quite a long way to go.”
In the absence of two-time Olympic gold medallist Murray, Johanna Konta represented Britain’s best hope in the singles but she was unable to make it through her quarter-final with Barbora Strycova.
And for Murray the British representation at Grand Slam events is a hallmark of success.
“You want to see more British players at the big events, getting in on their own right without using wildcards,” he added.
“Ultimately I think that's how you should judge success.
“It's so difficult to produce players to win major titles, but I think it's a bit easier to have a system in place that allows players to compete on the main tours.
“It's not easy to produce a player like Serena, for example.”
For 37-year-old Williams, defeat does not yet spell the end as she continues her quest for a 24th Grand Slam singles title with a semi-final against Strycova and was full of positivity about the memorable partnership.
“I think to play on this stage with Andy, who has done so well here for so many years, is literally just a lifetime experience. I'm so happy that I got to experience it,” said Williams.
“It's fun to get to know him as well because, like he said, we don't really know each other that well.
“It's cool to see people you see on TV and you watch and study, to actually be on the same side as them, to pick their brain a little bit, to help them out, it's a really cool feeling.” Sportsbeat 2019