Sir Andrew Barron MurrayOBE (born 15 May 1987) is a British former professional tennis player. He was ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 41 weeks, and finished as the year-end No. 1 in 2016. Murray won three Grand Slam singles titles, two at Wimbledon (in 2013 and 2016), and one at the US Open (in 2012), and reached eleven major finals. Murray was ranked in the top 10 for all but one month from July 2008 through to October 2017, and was in the top 4 in eight of the nine year-end rankings during that time. Murray won 46 ATP Tour singles titles, including 14 Masters 1000 events and two gold medals at the Summer Olympics.
Originally coached by his mother Judy alongside his older brother Jamie, Murray moved to Barcelona at age 15 to train at the Sánchez-Casal Academy. He began his professional career around the time Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal established themselves as the two dominant players in men's tennis. Murray had immediate success on the ATP Tour, making his top 10 debut in 2007 at age 19. By 2010, Murray and Novak Djokovic had joined Federer and Nadal in the Big Four, the group of players who dominated men's tennis during the 2010s. Murray initially struggled against the rest of the Big Four, losing his first four major finals (three to Federer and one to Djokovic). He made his major breakthrough in 2012 by defeating Djokovic to win the US Open, becoming the first British major singles champion since Virginia Wade in 1977, and the first male champion since Fred Perry in 1936. He also beat Djokovic to win Wimbledon in 2013.
Murray had his career-best season in 2016, when he made three major finals, winning Wimbledon. He also defended his title at the 2016 Rio Olympics (having previously won the gold medal in men's singles at 2012 London Olympics over Roger Federer) to become the only player, male or female, to win two Olympic gold medals in singles. Murray also became world No. 1 for the first time in 2016, and clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking by winning the Tour Finals title over Djokovic. After 2016, he struggled with various injuries and fell out of the top 100 in 2018 due to only seldom playing on tour, though he slowly rose back to the top 50 in the 2020s. He played his final professional tennis tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Murray was an all-court player who excelled in particular at defence, returning serve and constructing points. He was generally regarded as having one of the most consistent two-handed backhands on the ATP Tour. Murray is credited with re-establishing the United Kingdom as a leading force in men's tennis for the first time since the early 20th century. He and his brother led the Great Britain Davis Cup team to a title in 2015. Murray has been outspoken on issues of equality, and became only the second top-10 player in the history of the ATP Tour to have a female coach when he hired Amélie Mauresmo in 2014.
Early and personal life
Andy Murray was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of Judy Murray (née Erskine) and William Murray.[4] His maternal grandfather, Roy Erskine, was a professional footballer in the late 1950s.[12] Murray is a supporter of Hibernian Football Club, one of the teams his grandfather represented,[13][14] and Arsenal Football Club.[15] Murray began playing tennis at the age of three, when his mother Judy took him to play on the local courts.[16] He played in his first competitive tournament at age five and by the time he was eight he was competing with adults in the Central District Tennis League.[17] Murray's elder brother, Jamie, is also a professional tennis player, on the doubles circuit, who also became world No. 1 in doubles and a multiple Grand Slam winner in the discipline (both men's and mixed).[18][19][20][21][22]
Murray grew up in Dunblane and attended Dunblane Primary School. Both he and his brother were present during the 1996 Dunblane school massacre,[23] when Thomas Hamilton killed 16 children and a teacher before shooting himself; Murray took cover in a classroom.[24] Murray says he was too young to understand what was happening and is generally reluctant to talk about it in interviews,[25] but in his autobiography Hitting Back he states that he attended a youth group run by Hamilton and his mother gave Hamilton lifts in her car.[26] Murray later attended Dunblane High School.[27][28]
Murray's parents split up when he was 10, with the boys living with their father while being mentored in tennis by their mother.[29] He believes the impact this had on him could be the reason behind his competitive spirit.[30] At 15, he was asked to train with Rangers Football Club at their School of Excellence, but declined, opting to focus on his tennis career instead.[31] He then decided to move to Barcelona, Spain. There he studied at the Schiller International School in Florida and trained on the clay courts of the Sánchez-Casal Academy, coached by Pato Alvarez.[32] Murray described this time as "a big sacrifice".[28] His parents had to find £40,000 to pay for his 18-month stay there.[29] In Spain, he trained with Emilio Sánchez, former world No. 1 doubles player.[28]
Murray was born with a bipartite patella, a condition in which the kneecap remains as two separate bones instead of fusing together in early childhood. It was not diagnosed until he was aged 16. He has been seen holding his knee due to the pain caused by the condition and has withdrawn from tournaments because of it.[33]
In February 2013, Murray bought Cromlix House hotel near Dunblane for £1.8 million. The hotel had been closed since 2012,[34] but Murray reopened it in April 2014.[35] Later that month Murray was awarded the freedom of Stirling and received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Stirling in recognition of his services to tennis.[36]
Murray began dating Kim Sears, daughter of player-turned-coach Nigel Sears, in 2005.[37][38] Their engagement was announced in November 2014,[38] and they married on 11 April 2015 at Dunblane Cathedral in his home town,[39] with the reception at his Cromlix House hotel. The couple previously lived in Oxshott, Surrey[1] but in 2022, moved to nearby Leatherhead.[40] The newly constructed house will accommodate their young family, consisting of their son and three daughters; the youngest, a girl, was born in March 2021.[41][42][43][44][45]
Murray has been repeatedly vocal in his support for women players and coaches.[46][47] He is also a vocal supporter of LGBT+ rights and supports same-sex marriage.[48] In June 2020, he also lent his support to the Black Lives Matter movement, when he and fellow players took a knee during the Schroders Battle of the Brits exhibition tournament.[49][50] Just before the 2020 US Open, he said he was "fully supportive" of Naomi Osaka's decision to sit out her semi-final match at the Cincinnati Open in the wake of Jacob Blake's shooting in Wisconsin.[51] Osaka ultimately played and won the match.
Murray's ranking history chart
Junior career
Leon Smith, Murray's tennis coach from 11 to 17,[32] described Murray as "unbelievably competitive", while Murray attributes his abilities to the motivation gained from losing to his older brother Jamie. In 1999 Murray was a champion in the Orange Bowl, an international tournament for junior players, winning in the 12-year-old category.[52][53]
In January 2001, Murray participated in the Petits As tournament, an event for players under 14, and it was here that he began his rivalry with Novak Djokovic, beating him 6–0, 6–1 in the quarterfinals.[54][55] In the semis, Murray overcame Mischa Zverev, but lost the final to Russia's Alexandre Krasnoroutskiy.[56] He then led the British team to victory in the European Winter Cup and won a title in Telford, finishing the season as the No. 2 in the ETA ranking for U14s, only behind Djokovic.[55]
For the first six months of 2004, Murray had a knee injury and could not play.[60] In July 2004, Murray played a Challenger event in Nottingham, where he lost to future Grand Slam finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round.[61] Murray then went on to win Futures events in Xàtiva[62] and Rome.[63]
As a junior, Murray reached as high as No. 6 in the world in 2003 (and No. 8 in doubles). In the 2004-instated combined rankings, he reached No. 2 in the world.[66]
Murray began 2005 ranked No. 407,[67] but whilst in South America in January he injured his back and was forced to take three months off.[60]
In March, he became the youngest Briton to play in the Davis Cup.[68] Murray turned professional in April and was given a wild card entry to a clay-court tournament in Barcelona, the Open SEAT, where he lost in three sets to Jan Hernych.[69] In April, Murray parted acrimoniously from his coach Pato Alvarez, complaining about his negative attitude.[70] Murray then reached the semi-finals of the boys' French Open, where he lost in straight sets to Marin Čilić.[71]
Mark Petchey became Murray's coach.[70] Given a wild card to Queen's,[72] Murray progressed past Santiago Ventura in straight sets for his first ATP match win.[73] Following a second-round win against Taylor Dent,[74] he lost to former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson in the third round in three sets after cramping and twisting his ankle.[75][76] Following his performance at Queen's, Murray received a wild card for Wimbledon. Ranked No. 312, Murray became the first Scot in the Open Era to reach the third round of the men's singles tournament at Wimbledon.[77] In the third round, Murray lost to 2002 Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian due to cramping and fatigue, having led two sets to love.[78]
Following Wimbledon, Murray won Challenger events on the hard courts of Aptos and Binghamton, New York. He then experienced his first Masters event at Cincinnati, where he beat Taylor Dent, before losing in three sets to then-No. 4, Marat Safin. With a wild card entry, Murray beat Andrei Pavel in the first round of the US Open, where he recovered from down two sets to one to win his first five-set match.[79] However, he lost in the second round to Arnaud Clément in five sets.[80] Murray was again selected for the Davis Cup match against Switzerland. He lost in straight sets to Stanislas Wawrinka.[81] Murray made his first ATP final at the Thailand Open where he lost to No. 1 Roger Federer in straight sets.[82]
Murray beat Tim Henman in their first meeting, at the Basel Swiss Indoors in the first round, and eventually reached the quarter-finals.[83]
The 2006 season saw Murray compete on the full circuit for the first time and split with his coach Mark Petchey[85] and team up with Brad Gilbert.[86]
At the SAP Open in San Jose in February, Murray defeated a top ten player for the first time, Andy Roddick.[87] Murray went on to claim the title defeating No. 11 Lleyton Hewitt.[88] As a result, Murray became the British No. 1 later that month, ending Tim Henman's seven-year run. Murray was now world No. 42, Greg Rusedski No. 43, and Tim Henman No. 49.[89] Rusedski regained his British No. 1 status on 15 May[90] for eight weeks.[91]
Murray suffered a straight sets defeat at the Australian Open, to Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela in the first round[92] and to Gaël Monfils at the French Open, in five sets.[93] Murray reached the fourth round for the first time at both Wimbledon (beating 3rd seed Andy Roddick in the 3rd round) and the US Open.[94][95]
Murray played in Davis Cup ties against Serbia, Israel and Ukraine. Murray missed the opening singles matches before losing the doubles as Britain lost their tie against Serbia.[96] During the tie with Israel, Murray won his rubber and lost the doubles before pulling out with a neck injury before the reverse singles, as Britain lost the tie.[97][98][99] Against Ukraine, Murray won both his singles rubbers, but lost the doubles, as Britain won the tie.[100][101][102]
At the Masters, Murray lost in the first round in Miami,[103] Monte Carlo and Rome.[104][105] Murray went out of the tournaments in Indian Wells and Hamburg in the second round.[106][107] Murray reached his first Masters semi-final in Toronto at the Rogers Cup, losing to Richard Gasquet.[108]
At Cincinnati, Murray became only one of two players, alongside Rafael Nadal, to defeat Roger Federer in 2006, breaking the Swiss star's 55 match winning streak on hard courts.[109] He lost two rounds later to Andy Roddick, but broke into the top 20 for the first time.[110][111] In the final two Masters events in Madrid and Paris, Murray exited both tournaments at the last-16 stage ending his season, with losses to Novak Djokovic and Dominik Hrbatý.[112][113] Murray was a finalist at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.[114] Playing doubles with his brother in Bangkok the pair reached the final.[115] After the French Open, where Murray was injured again, he revealed that his bones hadn't fully grown, causing him to suffer from cramps and back problems.[116] He finished the year ranked 17.
2007: Ascending to the top 10
Murray reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, where he lost a five-set match against No. 2, Rafael Nadal.[117]
Following the Miami Masters, where he reached the semi-finals,[118] Murray reached the No. 10 ranking on 16 April.[119]
The British No. 1 sustained tendon damage during his first round match at the German Open in Hamburg. Murray was up 5–1 when he hit a forehand from the back of the court and snapped the tendons in his wrist, leaving him out of action from 15 May until 7 August, thereby missing Wimbledon.[120] During this rest period, Murray rose to No. 8, but by 7 August, he had dropped to No. 14.[119]
Murray suffered a third round loss at the US Open. At the Masters tournaments, Murray reached the semi-finals of Indian Wells and Miami. At Rome and Cincinnati, Murray exited in the first round whilst going out in the second in Canada. In the final two masters tournaments, Murray exited in the third round in Madrid and he went out in the quarter-finals of Paris. Murray won titles in San Jose and St. Petersburg.[121] He also reached the final of tournaments in Doha and Metz, finishing the season ranked 11th in the world.[119]
In November, Murray split with his coach Brad Gilbert and added a team of experts along with Miles Maclagan, his main coach.[122][123]
2008: First major final and Masters titles
Murray at the 2008 US Open
In 2008, Murray suffered a first round loss at the Australian Open to eventual runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and a third round loss at the French Open to Nicolás Almagro.[124] Murray then made his first Grand Slam quarter-final at Wimbledon before making his first final at the US Open. During the tournament in New York, Murray claimed his first win over Nadal. That victory meant that he became the first player from Britain since Greg Rusedski in 1997 to reach a major final.[125] In his first Grand Slam final Murray suffered a straight sets loss to Federer.[126][127] At the Beijing Olympics, Murray suffered one of the worst defeats of his career, losing his first round singles match to No. 77 Yen-hsun Lu of Taiwan in straight sets. That abject defeat was still on his mind in a BBC interview five years later – despite an intervening Olympic gold medal and a head-to-head win – when he met the same player (now ranked No. 75) in the second round of Wimbledon 2013.[128]
In the Masters tournaments, Murray went out in round four in Indian Wells and the first round of Miami. In the clay Masters Murray made the third round of Monte Carlo and Hamburg and the second of Rome. On the American hard court swing Murray made the semi-finals of Toronto before winning his first Masters shield in Cincinnati. He added another shield to his collection in Madrid;[129] before losing in the quarter-finals of Paris. Now at No. 4 in the world, Murray qualified for the first time for the Masters Cup. He played well in defeating an injured Federer[130] but lost to Davydenko in the semi-finals.[131] Murray ended 2008 ranked No. 4. Murray also won tournaments in Doha, Marseille and St Petersburg.
2009: Ascent to world No. 2 and two Masters titles
Murray opened the 2009 season with a successful defence of his title at the Qatar Open in Doha, defeating Andy Roddick in straight sets.[132] At the Australian Open, Murray made it to the fourth round, losing to Fernando Verdasco.[133] Murray won his eleventh career title in Rotterdam, defeating No. 1, Nadal in three sets.[134] Murray next went to Dubai but withdrew before the quarter-finals with a re-occurrence of a virus that had affected him at the Australian Open.[135] The virus caused Murray to miss a Davis Cup tie in Glasgow. Murray then lost in the finals to Nadal at Indian Wells,[136] but won a week later in Miami over Djokovic for another masters title.
In the lead-up to the French Open, Murray beat No. 9, Nikolay Davydenko at the Monte Carlo Masters, the first time he had beaten a top ten player on clay,[137] though he lost to Nadal in the semi-finals. Murray was upset in round two of the Rome Masters by qualifier Juan Mónaco, and he reached the quarter-finals of the Madrid Masters, losing to Juan Martín del Potro. During this time Murray achieved the highest ever ranking of a British male in the Open Era when he reached the No. 3 ranking on 11 May 2009.[138] Murray reached the quarter-finals of the French Open, but was defeated by Fernando González in four sets.
Murray won a title for the first time on grass at Queen's and became the first British winner of the tournament since 1938. In the final Murray defeated American James Blake.[139] At Wimbledon, against Stanislas Wawrinka, Murray's fourth round match was the first match to be played entirely under Wimbledon's retractable roof. This also enabled it to be the then latest finishing match ever at Wimbledon, a record he would go on to eclipse three years later in a second round match against Marcos Baghdatis.[140] However Murray lost a tight semi-final to Andy Roddick.
Murray returned to action in Montreal, defeating del Potro in three sets to take the title.[141] After this victory, he overtook Nadal in the rankings and held the number two position until the start of the US Open.[142] Murray followed the Masters win playing at the Cincinnati Masters, where he lost to Federer. At the US Open, Murray was hampered by a wrist injury and suffered a straight-sets loss to Čilić.[143] Murray won both his singles matches, and lost at doubles in the Davis Cup against Poland,[144] but then missed six weeks with a wrist injury.[145]
In November, Murray won at Valencia,[145][146] but bowed out in round two of the Paris Masters. To end the season, Murray did not make it out of the round robin at the World Tour Finals in London.[147] He ended the year ranked 4.
2010s
2010: Hopman Cup and Australian Open finals
Murray and Laura Robson represented Britain at the Hopman Cup. The pair progressed to the final, where they were beaten by Spain.[148] At the Australian Open Murray beat Nadal and Čilić before losing in the final to Roger Federer.[149]
I can cry like Roger, it's just a shame I can't play like him.
– Murray during his runner's up speech at the 2010 Australian Open.[150]
Murray reached his second Grand Slam Final in Australia
After playing an exhibition match, Murray started the French Open with three tough wins, before losing in straight sets to Tomáš Berdych in the fourth round.[154] In London, Murray progressed to the third round, where he faced Mardy Fish. At 3–3 in the final set with momentum going Murray's way (he had just come back from 3–0 down), the match was called off for bad light, leaving Murray fuming. Coming back the next day, Murray was edged out by the eventual finalist in a tie-breaker for his second defeat by him in the year.[155][156] At Wimbledon, Murray progressed to the semi-finals, losing to Nadal in straight sets.[157] In July 2010, Murray and his coach Maclagan split, and Murray replaced him with Àlex Corretja.[158]
Starting the US hard-court season with the 2010 Farmers Classic, Murray lost in the final to Sam Querrey in three sets. This was his first loss to Querrey in five career meetings.[159] In Canada, Murray became the first player since Andre Agassi in 1995 to defend the Canadian Masters. Murray defeated Nadal and then Federer in straight sets, ending his eight-month title drought.[160] At the Cincinnati Masters, Murray first complained about the speed of the court,[161] and then in a quarter-final match with Fish, Murray complained that the organisers refused to put the match on later in the day.[162] With temperatures reaching 33°C in the shade, Murray won the first set in a tie-breaker but began to feel ill. The doctor was called on court to cool Murray down. Murray said after the match that he had considered retiring. He lost the second set, but forced a final-set tie-breaker, before Fish won.[163] After losing to Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round of the US Open, questions about Murray's conditioning arose, as he called the trainer out twice during the match.[164]
His next event was the China Open in Beijing, where Murray reached the quarter-finals, losing to Ivan Ljubičić.[165] Murray then won the Shanghai Rolex Masters dismissing Roger Federer in straight sets.[166] He did not drop a set throughout the event. Murray returned to Spain to defend his title at the Valencia Open 500 but lost in the second round to Juan Mónaco.[167] However, in doubles, Murray partnered his brother Jamie Murray to the final, where they defeated Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi. The victory was Murray's first doubles title and the second time he had reached a final with his brother.[168]
Murray reached the quarter-finals at the BNP Paribas Masters losing to Gaël Monfils in three sets. At the Tour finals in London, Murray went 2–1 in round robin play before facing Nadal in the semi-final. They battled for over three hours, before Murray fell to the Spaniard in a final-set tie-breaker, bringing an end to his season.[169] He ended the year ranked 4 for the third consecutive year.
2011: Consistency in slams and two more Masters
Murray and Laura Robson lost in the round-robin stage 2011 Hopman Cup, losing all three ties even though Murray won all of his singles matches. Then Murray, along with other stars such as Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, participated in the Rally for Relief event to help raise money for the flood victims in Queensland.[170]
Murray with his brother Jamie (left) at the 2011 Japan Open
Seeded fifth in the 2011 Australian Open, Murray met former champion Novak Djokovic in the final and was defeated in straight sets. In Rotterdam, he was defeated by Marcos Baghdatis in the first round.[171] Murray reached the semi-finals of the doubles tournament with his brother Jamie. Murray lost to qualifiers in the first rounds at the Masters Series events in Indian Wells and Miami, after which he split with coach Àlex Corretja.[172]
At the French Open, Murray won two tough early matches, before losing in his first semi-final at Roland Garros, against Rafael Nadal.[176][177][178]
Murray defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win his second Queen's Club title.[179] At Wimbledon, Murray lost in the semi-final to Nadal, despite taking the first set.[180] At the Davis Cup tie between Great Britain and Luxembourg, Murray led the British team to victory.[181] Murray was the two-time defending 2011 Rogers Cup champion, but lost in the second round to South African Kevin Anderson.[182] However, the following week, he won the 2011 Western & Southern Open after Novak Djokovic retired due to injury.[183] At the 2011 US Open, Murray battled from two sets down to win a five-set second-round encounter with Robin Haase, but lost in the semi-finals to Rafael Nadal in four sets.[184] This was the first time in his career that Andy had reached the quarter-finals, or better, at all four slams in a calendar year.
Murray easily won the Thailand Open, and the following week he won his third title in four tournaments at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships. His opponent in the final was Rafael Nadal, whom he beat for the first time in the year in three sets. Murray then won the doubles with his brother Jamie, becoming the first person in the 2011 season to capture both singles and doubles titles at the same tournament. Murray then successfully defended his Shanghai Masters crown with a straight-sets victory over David Ferrer in the final. At the ATP World Tour Finals, Murray lost to David Ferrer in straight sets and withdrew from the tournament after the loss with a groin pull. Murray ended the year ranked 4, behind Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer, for the fourth consecutive year.
2012: Olympic Gold, US Open champion, and Wimbledon runner-up
At the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Murray defeated Djokovic in the semi-finals, but lost the final to Roger Federer.[190] After an early defeat at the BNP Paribas Open, Murray made the final of the Miami Masters, losing to Djokovic.[191] Murray then had quarter-final losses at the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open, and a third round loss at the Italian Open.[192][193][194] Murray battled back spasms throughout the French Open, and in the quarter-finals, he was beaten by David Ferrer.[195]
Murray lost in the opening round of the Queen's Club Championships to No. 65 Nicolas Mahut.[196] At Wimbledon, Murray set the then record for the latest finish at the championships when he completed a four-set victory over Marcos Baghdatis at 23:02 BST (surpassed by one minute by the 2018 men's singles semi-finals).[197] Murray beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi-final in four sets to become the first male British player to reach the Wimbledon final since Bunny Austin in 1938.[198] In the final, he lost to Federer in four sets.[199]
Murray returned to Wimbledon within weeks, this time to compete in the London 2012 Summer Olympics. He and brother Jamie Murray lost in round one to Austria (Jürgen Melzer and Alexander Peya) in three sets.[200] In the mixed doubles, Murray and Laura Robson lost in the final to the Belarusian top seeds (Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi) in three sets, gaining a silver medal. In singles, Murray lost only one set and beat Federer in the final for the loss of just 7 games.[191] Murray became the first British man to win the Olympic singles gold medal in tennis since Josiah Ritchie in 1908, and only the 7th man in the open era to win two medals at the same Olympic Games.[201] Murray retired early in the Rogers Cup due to a knee injury, and was beaten by unseeded Jérémy Chardy at the Cincinnati Masters in straight sets.
Murray at the 2012 US Open where he won his first major title
He next competed at the US Open. He cruised through his opening two rounds in straight sets against Alex Bogomolov and Ivan Dodig, before facing a tough four-set battle with Feliciano López, where Murray had to win three tie-breakers. In the fourth round, he defeated Milos Raonic in straight sets, and then in the quarter-finals, had to come from a set and two breaks down against Marin Čilić to prevail in four. In the semi-finals, he defeated Tomáš Berdych in a long-fought match that lasted almost four hours, to reach his second consecutive Grand Slam final. Murray defeated Djokovic in five sets, becoming the first British man to win a Grand Slam final since Fred Perry in 1936,[202] and the first Scottish-born player to win a Grand Slam final since Harold Mahony in 1896.[203] The win would also set several records for Murray: the longest tiebreak in US Open final history at 12–10 in the first set, it made Murray the first man ever to win an Olympic gold medal and the US Open in the same year, and it tied with the 1988 US Open final (in which Murray's coach Lendl competed) as the longest final in the tournament's history.[204] By defeating Djokovic in the final, Murray achieved his 100th Grand Slam career match win. The victory made Murray part of the "Big Four" according to many pundits and contemporaries, including Novak Djokovic.[205][206]
In his first tournament after the US Open, Murray lost in the semi-finals of the Rakuten Japan Open to Milos Raonic in three sets. In the doubles he and his brother Jamie lost in the quarter-finals to Leander Paes and Radek Štěpánek. At the Masters 1000 in Shanghai, Murray beat Alexandr Dolgopolov in the third round, Radek Štěpánek in a three-set quarter-final and Roger Federer in the semi-finals in straight sets. After failing to capitalise on five match points, Murray eventually lost the final to Djokovic in three sets, bringing to an end his 12–0 winning streak at the competition.[207][208] When Nadal pulled out of both the Paris Masters and the year-end championships,[209] Murray finished the year at No. 3. At the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Murray was voted third, ahead of Mo Farah.[210] Murray won the World Breakthrough of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards.[211]
Murray began his 2013 season by retaining his Brisbane International title, defeating Grigor Dimitrov in the final in straight sets,[215] and dedicating the victory to his friend Ross Hutchins who had been diagnosed with cancer in December 2012.[216] At the 2013 Australian Open he had straight sets victories over Robin Haase, João Sousa, practice partner Ričardas Berankis, No. 14 seed Gilles Simon and Jérémy Chardy. In the semis Murray prevailed in 5 sets against Federer (his first Grand Slam win over Roger). With this victory, each member of the Big Four (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray) had beaten the other three at the majors.[217] After taking the first set of the final against Djokovic in a tiebreak, Murray was eventually defeated in four sets.[218] Murray became only the second man in the Open Era to achieve three runner-up finishes at the Australian Open, the other being Stefan Edberg.
At the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Murray lost in the quarter-finals to Juan Martín del Potro in three sets.[219] At the Miami Masters, Murray made it through his first four matches without dropping a set, and then beat Richard Gasquet in the semi-finals. After losing the first set, and facing match point in the decider at 5–6, Murray eventually took the final against David Ferrer in a third-set tiebreaker to win his second Miami Masters title, and leapfrog Roger Federer into second place in the rankings, ending a near-decade long time period in which either Federer or Rafael Nadal were ranked in the top two.[220] Murray briefly fell back to No. 3, following a third round defeat by Stanislas Wawrinka in Monte-Carlo, but reclaimed the No. 2 ranking as a result of Federer failing to defend his title at the Mutua Madrid Open. Murray lost at the quarter-final stage to Tomáš Berdych in straight sets.[221]
At the Rome Masters, Murray retired due to a hip injury during his second round match against Marcel Granollers on his 26th birthday. This left Murray with only eleven days to be fit for the start of the French Open.[222]
Speaking at a press conference after the match, Murray said, "As it is, I'd be very surprised if I was playing in Paris."[223] He would go on to withdraw from Roland Garros later, citing a back injury.[224] Murray made his comeback at the 2013 Aegon Championships, where he was the top seed. After a rain delayed first day, Murray had to complete his second round match against Nicolas Mahut, and his subsequent match against Marinko Matosevic on the same day, both of which he won in straight sets. He then beat Benjamin Becker in the quarter-finals and won in three sets against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to set up a final against Marin Čilić of Croatia, his third consecutive final on grass courts. He came from behind again to beat Čilić in three sets to claim his third title at Queen's Club.[225]
Murray holds the Wimbledon trophy following his victory in the 2013 men's final
Going into Wimbledon, Murray had not lost a match on grass since the previous year's final. Murray beat Benjamin Becker,[226] Yen-hsun Lu[227] and 32nd seed Tommy Robredo, in straight sets. He then beat Mikhail Youzhny, the highest seed left in Murray's half following the early exits of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, in straight sets[228] to make it through to his tenth consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final.[229] For the seventh time in his career, Murray had to come back from a deficit of two sets to come through in five sets against Fernando Verdasco,[230] then beat 24th seed Jerzy Janowicz in four sets (dropping the first) to make it through to his second consecutive Wimbledon final, and third consecutive major final against Novak Djokovic.[231]
Despite the Serb being the favourite to win the title throughout the Championships, Murray overcame Djokovic in a straight sets match that lasted over three hours, to become the first British winner of the men's singles title since Fred Perry in 1936 and to extend his winning streak on grass to 18 matches.[232]
At the US Open, Murray entered a Grand Slam tournament as defending champion for the first time and beat Michaël Llodra, Leonardo Mayer, Florian Mayer and Denis Istomin to reach the quarter-finals at a major for the 11th straight tournament. In the last 8, Murray lost to Stanislas Wawrinka in straight sets, ending Murray's streak of four consecutive major finals.[233] The Great Britain Davis Cup team played their World Group Play-off tie on clay against Croatia, where Murray beat 16-year-old Borna Ćorić in straight sets. He and Colin Fleming beat Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavić in the doubles, and Murray then sealed Britain's return to the World Group by defeating Dodig in straight sets.[234]
Following the Davis Cup, Murray's season was cut short by his decision to undergo surgery, in order to sort out the lower back problems that had caused him problems since the early stages of the previous season. After being forced to withdraw from the French Open in May, the injury flared up again during the US Open and later during the Davis Cup World Group play-offs, Murray made the decision that surgery was the best way to sort the problem out for the long-term.[235] Following the conclusion of the 2013 season, Murray was voted the 2013 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, after having been heavy favourite since the nominees were announced.[236]
Murray started his season at the Qatar Open in Doha, where he beat Mousa Shanan Zayed in straight sets in 37 minutes without dropping a single game, but was defeated in three sets by No. 40 Florian Mayer in the second round, despite being a set and a break up.[237] He then played a warm-up match at the 2014 AAMI Classic in Kooyong, losing to No. 43 Lleyton Hewitt.
At 2014 Australian Open, Murray beat Go Soeda, Vincent Millot and Feliciano López. In the fourth round, Murray dropped his first set of the tournament in beating Stephane Robert in four sets. Despite saving two match points to take the third set, he went out in four sets in the quarters to Roger Federer, ending his streak of four consecutive Australian Open semi-finals.[238] As a result of losing before the final, Murray fell to No. 6, falling out of the top 5 for the first time since 2008.
In the Davis Cup World Group first round Great Britain faced United States. Murray won both of his ties against Donald Young and Sam Querrey, helping Britain to their first Davis Cup quarter-final since 1986.[239] Murray lost in the quarter finals of Rotterdam Open, to Marin Čilić and the semis of Mexican Open in Acapulco, to Grigor Dimitrov (in a thrilling three-setter).
In March, Murray split with coach Ivan Lendl, who had been widely praised for helping Murray win Grand Slam titles.[241] At the 2014 Miami Masters, Murray defeated Matthew Ebden, Feliciano López and Jo Wilfried Tsonga but lost to Djokovic in the quarter-finals.[242] In the Davis Cup quarter-finals against Italy, he beat Andreas Seppi and then he and Colin Fleming won the doubles rubber. He then lost to Fabio Fognini in straight sets, then Great Britain lost the deciding final rubber.[243]
At Madrid Open after his opening win over Nicolas Almagro, he dedicated the victory to former player Elena Baltacha.[244][245] He then lost to qualifier Santiago Giraldo in the following round. Murray then reached the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters where he lost to No. 1 Rafael Nadal in a tight match in which he had been up a break in the final set.[246] At the French Open, Murray defeated Andrey Golubev and Marinko Matosevic before edging out 28th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber 12–10 in the final set (the first time Murray had ever gone beyond 7–5 in a deciding set).[247] He then beat Fernando Verdasco and Gaël Monfils in a five set quarter-final, which saw Murray rise to No. 5 and equal his best ever French Open by reaching the semi-finals. However, he subsequently lost to Nadal in straight sets, winning only 6 games.[248] Murray then appointed former women's world No. 1, and two-times slam titlist, Amélie Mauresmo as his coach[249] in a 'historic move' which made Mauresmo the first woman to coach a top male tennis player.[250]
Murray was seeded third for the 2014 Wimbledon Championship, behind Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.[251] He began his title defence with straight sets wins over David Goffin[252] and Blaž Rola, defeating the latter for the loss of just two games.[253] Murray then beat Roberto Bautista Agut[254] and Kevin Anderson,[255] the 27th and 20th seeds, in straight sets to reach his seventh consecutive Wimbledon quarter-final. Grigor Dimitrov ended his 17 match winning-streak on the grass of Wimbledon (this includes the 2012 Olympics) with a straight sets win, meaning Murray failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2008.[256] After his defeat at the Championships, Murray dropped to No. 10, his lowest ranking since 2008.[257]
Before the North American hard court swing, Murray revealed he had only just returned to a full training schedule following his back surgery last September.[258] Murray reached back-to-back quarter-finals at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Masters, losing to eventual champions Jo Wilfried Tsonga,[259] after being a break up in the decider,[260] and Roger Federer, after being two breaks up in the second set, respectively.[261] He made it to the quarter-finals of the 2014 US Open, losing to Novak Djokovic, after earning his first top ten win of the year in the previous round against Jo Wilfried Tsonga.[262] This was the first season since 2009 where Murray failed to reach a grand slam final. As a consequence Murray fell outside of the top 10 rankings for the first time since June 2008.[263]
Murray took a wildcard into the inaugural Shenzhen Open in China, entering as the number 2 seed. Victories over Somdev Devvarman, Lukáš Lacko and Juan Mónaco saw Murray reach his first final of the season, breaking a drought of 14 months following his title at Wimbledon. In the final, after saving five championship points in the second set tie break against Tommy Robredo, Murray won the title in three sets, Robredo's drop in fitness ultimately proving decisive.[264] At Beijing, he reached the semi-finals before losing to Djokovic in straight sets.[265] He lost in the third round at the Shanghai Masters to David Ferrer despite being a set up.[266] Following his early exit in Shanghai, Murray took a wildcard into the Vienna Open in an attempt to claim a place at the ATP World Tour Finals. He beat Ferrer in three sets for his second title of the season, and the 30th of his career.[267] Murray defeated Ferrer again in the semi-finals of the Valencia Open to move into his third final in five weeks.[268] In a repeat of the Shenzhen Open final, Murray again saved five championship points as he overcame Tommy Robredo in three sets.[269] Murray then reached the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters, where he was eliminated by Djokovic in his 23rd match in 37 days.[270] However, his win over Dimitrov in the third round had already guaranteed him a spot at the ATP World Tour Finals.[271]
At the ATP World Tour Finals, Murray lost his opening round robin match to Kei Nishikori[272] but won his second match against Milos Raonic.[273] He lost his final group match against Federer in straight sets and only won one game against him, marking his worst defeat since losing to Djokovic in the 2007 Miami Masters, eliminating him from the tournament.[274]
At the end of the season, Murray mutually agreed on a split with training partner Dani Vallverdu and fitness coach Jez Green. They had been with him for five and seven years respectively but were both reported to have been unhappy at the lack of consultation they had been given about the appointment of Mauresmo.[275] Murray entered the inaugural season of the International Premier Tennis League, representing the Manila Mavericks,[276] playing the first three matches of the tournament in Manila.[277]
2015: Davis Cup champion and return to world No. 2
Murray began his year by winning an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.[278] He then played the Hopman Cup with Heather Watson and, despite winning all his singles matches in straight sets, they finished second in their group behind Poland.[279]
Murray at the 2015 Australian Open
His first competitive tournament of the year was the Australian Open. He won his opening three matches in straight sets before defeating 11th seed Grigor Dimitrov to reach the quarter-final.[280] Wins over Nick Kyrgios[281] and Tomáš Berdych followed as Murray reached his fourth final at the tournament (three of which were against Djokovic) and the eighth grand slam final of his career.[282] He lost the final to Novak Djokovic in four sets,[283] but returned to the top four in the world rankings for the first time in 12 months.[284]
Murray then reached the semi-finals of the 2015 Indian Wells, overtaking Tim Henman's record of 496 career wins to have the most career wins for a British man in the Open Era.[289] However, he suffered a 6th consecutive defeat to Djokovic in straight sets.[290] Murray then reached the final of the 2015 Miami Open, recording his 500th career win.[291] He lost the final to Djokovic in three sets.[292] Murray added Jonas Björkman to his coaching staff in March initially on a five-week trial.[293] After the Australian Open, Mauresmo had informed Murray that she was pregnant and he announced at the end of April, that Björkman would be his main coach for all of the grass court season and all of the US hard court swing, while Mauresmo would only be with the team for Wimbledon.[294]
Murray won his first ATP clay court title at the 2015 BMW Open, defeating Philipp Kohlschreiber to become the first Briton since Buster Mottram in 1976 to win a tour level clay court event.[295][296] The following week he reached his second final on clay, at the Madrid Open after recording only his second and third victories over top 10 opposition on clay, against Raonic and Nishikori.[297][298] In the final, he defeated Rafael Nadal in straight sets for his first Madrid title on clay, and first ever clay court Masters 1000 title. The win was Murray's first over Nadal, Federer or Djokovic since Wimbledon 2013, and his first over Nadal on a clay court.[299][300]
At Italian Open, he beat Jeremy Chardy in straight sets in his opening match, but then withdrew due to fatigue after having played nine matches in the space of 10 days. Murray then reached his third semi-final at the French Open, losing to Djokovic in five sets and ending his 15 match winning streak on clay.[301]
Murray with new coach Jonas Björkman during practice at the 2015 Aegon Championships
To start his grass court campaign, Murray went on to win a record-tying fourth Queen's Club title, defeating the big serving Kevin Anderson in straight sets in the final.[302] At the 2015 Wimbledon Championships, Murray dropped only two sets before a semi-final clash with Roger Federer which he lost in straight sets, gaining only one break point in the match.[303]
In Great Britain's Davis Cup quarter-final tie against France at Queen's, Murray levelled the tie with a victory against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and then he and his brother Jamie won the doubles, coming back from a set down to defeat Tsonga and Nicolas Mahut in four sets. He then beat Simon in the fourth rubber in four sets after being a set and a break down (Simon struggled from an ankle injury in the later stages). With a 3–1 lead over France, this resulted in Great Britain reaching their first Davis Cup semi-final since 1981.[304]
Murray won the Montreal Masters Rogers Cup, defeating Tsonga and Nishikori in the quarter-finals and semi-finals. He then won the final against Djokovic in three sets. This broke his eight-match, two-year losing streak against Djokovic (his last win was the final of Wimbledon in 2013). In winning the title he also overtook Federer to become the world No. 2. In doubles, he and Leander Paes beat Chardy and Anderson, before losing to Murray's brother Jamie and John Peers in two sets – the first time the Murray brothers had competed against each other in a Tour-level match, a situation which Andy described as "awkward" and Jamie as "a bit weird".[307]
At the Cincinnati Masters, Murray defeated Mardy Fish, Grigor Dimitrov (who had served for the match) and Richard Gasquet. In the semi-final, he lost to defending champion Roger Federer in straight sets, and after Federer went on to win the tournament, this result saw Murray return to the No. 3 ranking and seeding for the US Open. At the US Open, Murray beat Nick Kyrgios in four sets and Adrian Mannarino in five sets after being two sets down, equaling Federer for winning eight matches from two sets to love down. He then beat Thomaz Bellucci in straight sets but suffered a defeat in the fourth round to Kevin Anderson in four sets. This ended Murray's five-year run of 18 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals (not counting his withdrawal from the 2013 French Open) since his third round loss to Stan Wawrinka in the 2010 US Open.[308]
After losing in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters to Djokovic in straight sets, Murray reached the finals of the Paris Masters for the loss of one set, with victories against Borna Ćorić, David Goffin and David Ferrer. After a three set win over Richard Gasquet, he joined Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as the only players to reach the semi-finals (or better) at all nine of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments, and also ensured that he compiled his best match record in a single season.[311] He lost the final to Djokovic in straight sets.
As the world No. 2, Murray participated in the ATP World Tour Finals in London, and went out in the round-robin stage, after defeating David Ferrer and losing to Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka.[312] However, after Federer failed to win the tournament, he finished the season ranked No. 2 for the first time.[313]
In the Davis Cup final, Murray's victory over Ruben Bemelmans in straight sets pulled Great Britain level in the final after Kyle Edmund had lost in five sets, played on indoor clay courts at Ghent. With brother Jamie he won in four sets over Steve Darcis and David Goffin, and then Murray beat Goffin to ensure a 3–1 victory for Great Britain, their first Davis Cup title since 1936 and their tenth overall.[314] Murray also became only the third person since the current Davis Cup format was introduced to win all eight of his singles rubbers in a Davis Cup season, after John McEnroe and Mats Wilander.[315]
2016: Second Wimbledon and Olympic Gold, and ascent to world No. 1
Murray played his first competitive tournament of 2016 at the Australian Open. He went on to reach his fifth Australian Open final with victories over Alexander Zverev, Sam Groth, João Sousa, Bernard Tomic, David Ferrer and Milos Raonic, dropping four sets along the way. However, in a rematch of the previous year's final, he was unable to win his first title as he lost in the final to an in-form Novak Djokovic (who won a record-equalling sixth title) in straight sets.[316] He became the second man in the Open Era (after Ivan Lendl) to lose five Grand Slam finals at one event, and the only one not to have won the title. In February, Murray appointed Jamie Delgado as an assistant coach.[317] Murray then played at 2016 Davis Cup defeating the Japanese Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori in the first round.[318] At 2016 Indian Wells Masters he lost to Federico Delbonis in the third round. Murray then played at the 2016 Miami Open as the 2nd seed, losing to 26th seed Grigor Dimitrov in the third round.[319]
Murray began his clay court season at the 2016 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters as the 2nd seed. Murray beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert in 3 sets. Murray struggled in his third round match against 16th seed Benoît Paire as Andy was down a set and two breaks. Paire also served for the match in the third set but Murray came through in 3 sets. Murray then beat Milos Raonic in straight sets in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, Murray lost to eventual champion Rafael Nadal despite winning the first set. At 2016 Mutua Madrid Open as the 2nd seed and the defending champion. Murray defeated Radek Štěpánek, Gilles Simon, Tomáš Berdych and Rafael Nadal. In the final Murray lost to number 1 seed Novak Djokovic in three sets. This loss dropped Murray from second to third in the ATP rankings. Shortly afterwards Mauresmo and Murray issued a joint statement announcing that they had "mutually agreed" to end their coaching partnership.[320]
In 2016, Murray won his second Wimbledon title, beating Milos Raonic 6–4, 7–6(3), 7–6(2) in the final
Murray regained his number two ranking after he won the 2016 Internazionali BNL d'Italia for his 1st title of the season and 36th overall. He defeated Mikhail Kukushkin, Jérémy Chardy, David Goffin, Lucas Pouille, and number 1 seed Djokovic all in straight sets. This was his first win over Djokovic on clay and became the first British player since Virginia Wade in 1971 to win the title and the first British man since George Patrick Hughes in 1931.[321] Murray then moved on to the French Open where he came through two five-set matches against Štěpánek and Mathias Bourgue and two straight sets matches against big servers Ivo Karlović and John Isner. Then he beat Richard Gasquet in four sets to set up a semi-final clash against defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka. Murray defeated Wawrinka in four sets to become the first male British player since Bunny Austin in 1937, to reach a French Open final.[322] He lost to Djokovic in four sets.
In June 2016, Ivan Lendl agreed to return to his former role as Murray's coach.[323] Murray started his grass season at the 2016 Aegon Championships as the 1st seed and the defending champion. Murray defeated Nicolas Mahut in straight sets and Aljaž Bedene in straight sets. He then had three set wins over Kyle Edmund and Marin Čilić. In the final he was down a set and a break to Milos Raonic, but he won a record 5th Queen's Club Championships. Murray then played at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships as the 2nd seed. Murray had straight set wins over Liam Broady, Lu Yen-hsun, John Millman, and Nick Kyrgios in the first four rounds.[324] Murray then defeated 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in five sets in the quarter-final[325] and 10th seed Tomáš Berdych in straight sets to reach his third straight major final. In the final on 10 July, Murray defeated Raonic in straight sets to win his second Wimbledon title and third major title overall.[326] His Wimbledon crown was his 3rd title of the season and 38th career Tour title.
Murray next played at the Rio Olympic Games. He became the first player, male or female, to win two consecutive gold medals in the tennis singles events by defeating Juan Martín del Potro in the final, which lasted over four hours.[327] The win was his 3rd consecutive title and 4th title of the season. Murray then entered the US Open and beat Lukas Rosol, Marcel Granollers, Paolo Lorenzi and Grigor Dimitrov in the first four rounds. He then lost to sixth seed Kei Nishikori in five sets despite holding a two sets to one lead.
His next activity was the Davis Cup semi-final in Glasgow against Argentina. He lost the opening rubber against Juan Martín del Potro in five sets.[328] After Great Britain lost the second rubber as well, he teamed up with his brother Jamie to beat del Potro and Leonardo Mayer in the third rubber in four sets.[329] He then won the fourth rubber against Guido Pella in straight sets,[330] though Great Britain eventually lost the tie.[331] Murray then won the China Open for his fifth title of 2016 and 40th career tour title. He defeated Andreas Seppi, Andrey Kuznetsov, Kyle Edmund, David Ferrer, and Grigor Dimitrov all in straight sets. Murray then backed this up with a tournament win at the Shanghai Rolex Masters defeating Steve Johnson, Lucas Pouille, David Goffin, Gilles Simon, and Roberto Bautista Agut all in straight sets to capture his 13th masters title and 3rd title in Shanghai. This marked his 6th title of 2016 and drew him even with former No. 1 Stefan Edberg at No. 15 on the Open Era titles list with 41 Tour titles each.
Murray brought his win streak to 15 consecutive match wins by winning the Erste Bank Open for his seventh tour title of the 2016 season. He beat Martin Klizan, Gilles Simon and John Isner and a walkover from David Ferrer saw Murray reach the final.[332] There he defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, for his third title in succession.[333] The result saw Murray win seven titles in a single season for the first time in his career, and move to solo 15th on the all-time list of singles titles in the Open Era, breaking a tie with former world No. 1 Stefan Edberg.[334]
Murray entered the Paris Masters knowing that in the event of Djokovic not reaching the final, winning the title would be enough to see him crowned world No. 1 for the first time. After reaching the quarter-finals, courtesy of wins over Fernando Verdasco and Lucas Pouille, Murray faced Berdych for a place in the semi-finals, winning in straight sets. Meanwhile, Djokovic lost to Marin Cilic. Raonic withdrew before the start of their semi final match, giving Murray a walkover. As a result, Murray became the first British man to reach No. 1 since the introduction of the rankings in 1973.[335] Murray then defeated John Isner in the final in 3 sets to win his fourth consecutive tournament and first Paris Masters title.[336] In November 2016, Murray reached the final of the ATP World Tour Finals for the first time before winning against Novak Djokovic in two sets, thus reaching year-end No. 1[337] and in doing so, became the first player to win a Grand Slam, the ATP World Tour Finals, the men's singles at the Olympic Games and a Masters 1000 title in the same calendar year. The International Tennis Federation recognised Murray as their men's 2016 ITF men's world champion, the first time Murray had achieved this honour.
Murray returned to action at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships event in February. There he won his only tournament of the year, beating Fernando Verdasco in straight sets,[345] despite almost losing in the quarter-finals to Philipp Kohlschreiber where Murray had to save seven match points.[346] The next week, he suffered a shock defeat in the second round of the Indian Wells Masters to Vasek Pospisil.[347]
As the five-time champion at Queens, Murray pledged his prize money to the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire,[358] however he was defeated in straight sets by Jordan Thompson in the first round.[359] Despite concerns over a lingering hip injury, he returned to Wimbledon as the defending champion and progressed to the third round with straight set wins against Alexander Bublik and Dustin Brown.[360][361] He dropped his first set of the tournament to Fabio Fognini but proceeded to the fourth round in four sets.[362] Murray then beat Benoit Paire in straight sets.[363] However, he was defeated in the quarter-final by Sam Querrey in five sets.[364]
Murray missed the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Masters due to his hip injury, which led to him losing his No. 1 ranking to Rafael Nadal.[365][366] His injury then forced him to withdraw from the 2017 US Open two days before the start of the tournament, making it the first Grand Slam tournament he had missed since the 2013 French Open,[367] saying it was "most likely" that he would not play in a professional tournament again in 2017.[368] Ultimately he did indeed not play again. As a result of his inactivity, his ranking fell sharply to No. 16, his lowest ranking since May 2008.[369][370] Murray returned to the court to play a charity match against Federer in Glasgow and expressed his hope to return to the tour in Brisbane.[371] The following week, he and Ivan Lendl announced that they had mutually ended their coaching arrangement for a second time.[372]
2018: Hip surgery, out of top 800, and return to tour
Murray withdrew from the Brisbane International and Australian Open due to hip injury.[373] In a post on Instagram, Murray explained that rehab was one option for recovery. He added that hip surgery was also an option but that the chances of a successful outcome were not as high.[374][375] On 8 January, Murray announced on Instagram he had undergone hip surgery.[374][376]
In March, Murray lost his British No. 1 ranking for the first time since 2006, to Kyle Edmund.[377] Later that month, Murray said he was making progress after several days of playing at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in Nice after posting pictures of himself practising against Aidan McHugh, a British junior player, on Instagram.[378][379] He then announced he would play his first ATP tournament since hip surgery at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships in June,[380][381] although he later withdrew saying he was not quite ready and wanted to be 100%.[382] However, he later announced he would make his return at the Queen's Club Championships. He subsequently lost to Nick Kyrgios in the first round in three sets.[383] He was given a wildcard for the Eastbourne International, where he beat Stan Wawrinka in the first round before losing to Kyle Edmund in the second.[384] He withdrew from Wimbledon with a "heavy heart" a day before the tournament, saying it was too soon to play five-set matches.[385] As a result of this withdrawal, he dropped to 839th in the ATP rankings, his newest low ranking since he first entered the ATP rankings on 21 July 2003.[386]
He then entered the Washington Open, where he won his first round match against Mackenzie McDonald in three sets.[387] He then faced Kyle Edmund, who had dealt him his last defeat at Eastbourne, overcoming him in three sets. His next match, a dramatic three-set victory over Marius Copil in the third round, lasted until just past 3:00 AM local time; Murray wept after the conclusion of the match, overcome with emotion. He then withdrew from the tournament and the Canadian Open the following week to continue his recovery and to focus on the Cincinnati Masters for which he was awarded a wildcard. He eventually lost in the first round to France's Lucas Pouille in three sets.[388]
Murray made his grand slam return at the US Open where he defeated the Australian James Duckworth in four sets.[389] However, he was unable to progress further, losing in the second round to Spain's Fernando Verdasco in four sets.[390]
Murray then withdrew from Great Britain's Davis Cup tie against Uzbekistan in Glasgow to continue his rehabilitation from his injury.[391]
He entered the Shenzhen Open as a wildcard. He beat Zhizhen Zhang and[392]David Goffin.[393] He then lost to Fernando Verdasco in the quarter-finals in straight sets.[394] Murray had been due to play at the China Open the following week, but, after suffering a slight ankle problem, he decided to end his season early to ensure he would be fit for the following year.[395][396]
2019: Second hip surgery, comeback, and first title in two years
At the Brisbane International[397] he won his first round match against James Duckworth in straight sets but admitted post-match that he did not know how long he would be able to play top-class tennis.[398] Murray was defeated in the next round by Daniil Medvedev, at that time ranked 16th in the world.[399]
On 11 January, at a press conference just before the 2019 Australian Open, an emotional Murray announced that he could possibly retire from professional tennis due to struggling physically for a "long time", particularly with his hip injury. He said that he had been suffering with hip pain on a daily basis, and that it caused him to struggle with tasks like putting his shoes and socks on.[400] He spoke of the possibility of a second hip surgery, but expressed doubt this would be a viable option to prolong his career, merely allowing him to "have a better quality of life, and be out of pain".[401] He hoped to make it through to Wimbledon,[401][402] but that the Australian Open could be his final tournament if he was not able to last until the summer, stating: "I'm not sure I can play through the pain for another four or five months".[400] Active and retired tennis players, including Juan Martín del Potro, Kyle Edmund, Bilie Jean King and the other members of the 'Big Four' paid tribute to Murray upon his announcement.[403][404][405]
At the Australian Open Murray lost his opening match against 22nd seed Roberto Bautista Agut in a four-hour, five-setter. At its conclusion, a video montage of tributes featuring other top players Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Sloane Stephens and Caroline Wozniacki played in deference to his impending retirement.[406] In his post-match interview, he stated that he was considering a second hip surgery, and had not yet ruled out a return to the sport upon recovering from the operation.[407]
Bob Bryan urged Murray to have the "Birmingham hip resurfacing (BHR)" operation he underwent in August 2018, involving a cobalt-chrome metal cap being placed over the femur with a matching metal cup in the acetabulum (a conservative bone-saving alternative to a traditional Total Hip Replacement). Bryan informed Murray that the BHR would improve his quality of life and may help him return to the professional tennis tour.[408] On 29 January, Murray announced on Instagram that he had undergone hip resurfacing surgery in London and hoped that it would "be the end of my hip pain."[409] On 4 February, in an interview with The Times, Professor Derek McMinn, who invented the BHR implant and procedure, gave the opinion that Murray's chances of returning to competitive tennis should be "in the high 90 per cent".[410] On 7 March, Murray stated in an interview that he was now free of pain in his hip as a result of the surgery and may return to playing competitive tennis, but that he would not rush his comeback and may test his condition by playing doubles.[411]
In his first singles match since the 2019 Australian Open, Murray lost to Richard Gasquet in the first round of the 2019 Cincinnati Masters in straight sets.[420] In the quarter-final of the Cincinnati doubles, Murray and Feliciano López met Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski in only the second match between the siblings in their senior careers; Jamie and Skupski won in three sets to progress, with Andy stating afterwards that he would now concentrate his efforts on returning to the singles tour.[421] Murray then played at the 2019 Winston-Salem Open, where he lost to Tennys Sandgren in the first round. Murray played the 2019 Rafa Nadal Open Banc Sabadell Challenger, the first time he had competed on the Challenger Tour since 2005.[422] In the first round of the event, Murray defeated Imran Sibille to record his first singles victory since his hip surgery.[423] He lost to Matteo Viola in the third round.[424]
In September in China, Murray competed in the Zhuhai Championships,[425] and the China Open[426] and Shanghai Open in October.[427] He then won the European Open in the same month, beating Stan Wawrinka in the final.[428] In November 2019, he represented Great Britain for the first time since 2016 after being named in the squad for the 2019 Davis Cup finals;[429] however, he was only able to play one rubber in Great Britain's run to the semi-finals.
At the end of November, a television documentary, Andy Murray: Resurfacing, was released on the Amazon Prime platform, detailing Murray's various attempts to overcome his hip injury over a two-year period from his defeat at Wimbledon in 2017 to his doubles victory at Queen's Club in 2019.[430][431] In late December, Murray's team confirmed that the pelvic injury which had curtailed his involvement in the Davis Cup would also prevent him from entering the upcoming 2020 Australian Open and the inaugural ATP Cup.[432]
2020s
2020: First top 10 win in three years
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous tournaments on the 2020 ATP Tour were either cancelled or rescheduled for later in the year. Murray's first ATP tournament of 2020 was at the Western & Southern Open in August in which he entered as a wildcard. He beat Frances Tiafoe in the first round and world No. 7 Alexander Zverev in the second, his first victory over a top-10 player in over three years and the 102nd of his career.[433] He lost his third round match to Milos Raonic in straight sets.[434]
In his first round match at the spectator-less US Open Murray came back from two down to narrowly defeat Yoshihito Nishioka in five sets.[435] Then in the second round he lost in straight sets to the 15th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.[436]
He then entered the French Open as a wildcard but was defeated in the first round in straight sets by Stan Wawrinka.[437]
Murray's last tournament of the year was the Bett1Hulks Indoors where he received a wildcard and lost in the first round to Fernando Verdasco in straight sets. He did not enter the European Open and thus failed to defend his title.
2021: Wimbledon third round
Murray was due to start his season at the 2021 Australian Open again as a wildcard[438] but he tested positive for COVID-19 on 14 January. On 22 January, it was confirmed that he would miss the Australian Open due to not being able to find a workable quarantine after his positive test.[439]
Murray was largely inactive during the next three months due to a groin injury, managing only two match appearances in doubles at the Italian Open in May.[442] This left his ranking too low for a direct entry for the French Open. He focussed on the grass court season.[443]
Murray played two events on the US circuit. At the 2021 Western & Southern Open, Murray won as a wildcard in straight sets against Richard Gasquet before losing to Hubert Hurkacz in the second round.[449] At the 2021 Winston-Salem Open, Murray entered as a wildcard again and won in straight sets against Noah Rubin, before losing to Frances Tiafoe.[450] At the US Open, he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in five sets in the first round. The match was controversial, with Murray accusing Tsitsipas of cheating, in reference to an eight-minute bathroom break that was had by Tsitsipas during the match.[451]
Murray subsequently entered the challenger at 2021 Open de Rennes, after accepting a wildcard.[452] He defeated Yannick Maden in the first round in straight sets, but lost in three sets to Roman Safiullin.[453][454] Murray then reached the quarterfinal of the Moselle Open as a wildcard only losing to Hubert Hurkacz.[455] Murray lost also as a wildcard in the round of 16 to the 2nd seed and eventual champion Casper Ruud at the 2021 San Diego Open.[456] He received another wildcard for the Indian Wells Masters, where he reached the third round and was beaten by Alexander Zverev.[457] He then reached the second round of the European Open as a wildcard after a 3-hour and 45 minute marathon win against Frances Tiafoe.[458] He lost in the second round to Diego Schwartzman in straight sets.[459] At the Vienna Open, Murray entered as a wildcard and upset world No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz in the first round in three sets to claim his first top 10 victory of the year, but fell in straight sets to Carlos Alcaraz the following round.[460][461] At the 2021 Stockholm Open, he reached the quarterfinals as a wildcard, defeating World No. 10 Jannik Sinner for his second top 10 win in two weeks and for the season and the 104th in his career.[462]
2022: First ATP final since 2019, 700th match win and return to top 50
"Lots of people told me I wouldn't be able to play again, and lots of people told me I'd be able to hit tennis balls but not compete professionally again. That was nonsense, and I want to see how close I can get back to the top of the game."
Murray, opening up about his struggles and recovery.[463]
In March, Murray entered the 2022 Indian Wells Masters as a wildcard, beating Taro Daniel in three sets, marking his 700th win overall, but he lost in the second round to Alexander Bublik in straight sets.[475][476] Moving onto the 2022 Miami Open as a wildcard, Murray beat Federico Delbonis in straight sets. He lost in straight sets to top seed and world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev in the second round.[477][478]
Although Murray had originally stated in February that he is planning to skip the Spring clay season, he later changed his mind and accepted a wildcard into the 2022 Madrid Open in April.[471][479] At the 2022 Madrid Open Murray beat Dominic Thiem and Denis Shapovalov in the first two rounds to set up a clash against Novak Djokovic for the first time in five years.[480] Murray later withdrew from the match due to a stomach illness, giving Djokovic a walkover.[481]
Murray's first tournament back was the challenger tournament in Surbiton, where he reached the semifinals before losing to Denis Kudla in three sets. Murray then played in Stuttgart, where after beating Chris O'Connell and 7th seed Alexander Bublik, Murray won his first match against a top 5 player since 2016 by beating top seed and world No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets. He then beat Nick Kyrgios in straight sets to reach the final, where he lost to Matteo Berrettini in three sets. As a result, Murray's ranking rose to No. 47, entering the top 50 for the first time since 2018. However, an injury sustained during the final forced him to withdraw from the Queen's Club Championships.
At Wimbledon, Murray beat James Duckworth in four sets in the first round, before losing in the second round to 20th seed John Isner, in four sets. After Wimbledon, he entered the Hall of Fame Open, where he reached the quarterfinal before losing in straight sets to the third seed, Alexander Bublik.[482]
2023: Three Challenger titles, longest career match, record wildcards
At the 2023 Australian Open, Murray reached the third round after 5-set victories against 13th seed Matteo Berrettini and Thanasi Kokkinakis. His match against Kokkinakis lasted 5 hours and 45 minutes, the longest in Murray's career up until this point and the second longest in the tournament history. He lost to 24th seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round in 4 sets.[486][487][488]
Murray began his grass court season with the 2023 Surbiton Trophy Challenger 125 as a wildcard, where he clinched his second title of the season after defeating Jurij Rodionov in the final.[498] His winning streak continued at the 2023 Nottingham Open, another home Challenger 125, where he won the final, beating Arthur Cazaux 6–4, 6–4.[499][500]
2024: 500th hardcourt win and more injury setbacks, 1000th match played and retirement after Olympics
At the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships he recorded his 500th hardcourt win over Denis Shapovalov.[503] Murray ruptured ligaments in his left ankle during his third-round defeat to Tomas Machac at the Miami Open in March.[504] He opted against having surgery and returned to action on 15 May – his 37th birthday – at an ATP Challenger event in Bordeaux, France, winning his first-round match when his opponent, Kyrian Jacquet, retired injured in the second set with Murray leading 7–5 2–0.[505] The following day he went out of the clay-court tournament losing his second-round match to Gregoire Barrere in straight sets.[506] After first-round defeats in both singles and doubles at the French Open, Murray withdrew from the Surbiton Trophy, where he was defending champion, citing a back problem.[507]
At the 2024 Queen's Club Championships where he also received a wildcard, Murray played the 1000th match of his career, with a win over Alexei Popyrin in three sets. He joined Djokovic, Nadal, Fernando Verdasco and Richard Gasquet as the fifth active player to complete the milestone.[508] However, he suffered yet another injury setback as he had on-court treatment to his back and hip before retiring during the first set of his second round match against Jordan Thompson.[509]
Murray pulled out of the singles event at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships on the day he was supposed to play his first round match against Tomáš Macháč.[510] This was due to the back injury he sustained at Queen's a couple of weeks before. Instead, he played in doubles with brother Jamie Murray and was set to play in the mixed doubles with fellow Brit and former US Open champion Emma Raducanu before the latter withdrew due to a wrist injury, thus making the former his last ever Wimbledon match as a professional. On 23 July 2024, Murray announced that he would retire from active professional tennis after the 2024 Paris Olympics, concluding a career spanning nearly two decades.[511] Subsequently, he withdrew from the singles event in the Olympics, deciding to participate only in the doubles event with Dan Evans.[512] He made it to the quarterfinals before losing to third seeds Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul and officially ended his career in August 2024.[513]
Since his retirement, Murray has taken up golf and participated in the BTJA Mike Dickson Golf Day in October 2024, where he picked up his first golf trophy[514].
Novak Djokovic and Murray met 36 times with Djokovic leading 25–11.[515][516] Djokovic leads 5–1 on clay, 20–8 on hard courts, and Murray leads 2–0 on grass. The two are almost exactly the same age, with Murray being only a week older than Djokovic. They went to training camp together, and Murray won the first match they ever played as teenagers. The pair met 19 times in finals, with Djokovic leading 11–8.[515] Ten of the finals were at ATP Masters 1000 events, where they are tied at 5–5. They met in seven major finals: The 2011 Australian Open, the 2012 US Open, the 2013 Australian Open, the 2013 Wimbledon Championships, the 2015 Australian Open, the 2016 Australian Open, and the 2016 French Open. Djokovic won in Australia all four times and at the French Open, Murray emerged as the victor at the US Open and Wimbledon.
They also played a nearly five-hour-long semifinal match in the 2012 Australian Open, in which Djokovic won 7–5 in the fifth set after Murray led 2 sets to 1. Murray and Djokovic met again in 2012 at the London 2012 Olympic Games, with Murray winning in straight sets. During the final of the 2012 Shanghai Masters, Murray held five championship points in the second set, however Djokovic saved each of them and went on to win the title, ending Murray's 12–match winning streak at the event. The three set matches they played in Rome and Shanghai in 2011 and 2012 respectively were voted the ATP World Tour Match of the Year for each respective season.[517][518] Due to the tight competition between 2008 and 2013, many saw this as the emerging rivalry.[519][520] Djokovic went on to dominate the rivalry after the 2013 Wimbledon final, winning 13 of their last 16 matches. In 2016, Murray suffered his fourth loss (his fifth total) in the final of the Australian Open from Djokovic, followed by another defeat in the French Open final, where Djokovic won his first Roland Garros title and completed the Career Grand Slam.[521][522] Murray and Djokovic met in the final at the year's end final of the ATP World Tour Finals for the first time in their rivalry, where the winner would be granted the year-end No. 1 status. Djokovic dropped only one set en route to the final, but lost in straight sets to Murray, who finished the year at No. 1 and became the first British player to achieve this feat.
Murray vs. Federer
Murray and Roger Federer met 25 times with Federer leading 14–11. Federer leads 12–10 on hard courts and 2–1 on grass, having never met on clay. They met six times at the Grand Slam tournament level, with Federer leading 5–1. After Federer won the first professional match they played, Murray led the first half of the rivalry, with an 8–5 lead in 2010. The second half of the rivalry was dominated by Federer, who leads 9–3 since 2011, and led their overall rivalry since the 2014 ATP World Tour Finals.[523] Federer leads 5–3 in finals, having won each of their Grand Slam final meetings at the 2008 US Open[126] and 2010 Australian Open, both of which Federer won in straight sets, and the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, where Murray took the first set, but ended up losing in 4 sets. Murray leads 6–3 in ATP 1000 tournaments and 2–0 in finals. They met five times at the ATP World Tour Finals, with Murray winning in Shanghai in 2008[524] and Federer coming out victorious in London in 2009, 2010, 2012, and in 2014.
In August 2012, Murray met Federer in the final of the London 2012 Olympics at Wimbledon Centre Court, just four weeks after the 2012 Wimbledon Final, in which Federer had defeated Murray to win his record-tying 7th title at the All-England Club. Murray defeated Federer in straight sets to win the gold medal, denying Federer a Career Golden Slam. In 2013 Murray beat Federer for the first time in a major in the semifinals of the Australian Open, prevailing in five sets after Federer had come back twice from a set down.[525] Their last major meeting was at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships semifinals, where a dominant Federer defeated Murray in straight sets, earning a place in his 10th Wimbledon final. Murray is one of only three players to have recorded 10 or more victories over Federer, the other two being Nadal and Djokovic. Their last meeting took place at the 2015 Cincinnati Masters semifinals, with Federer winning the match in two close sets, recording his fifth consecutive victory over Murray.[523]
Murray vs. Nadal
Murray played against Rafael Nadal on 24 occasions starting in 2007, with Nadal leading 17–7. Nadal leads 7–2 on clay, 3–0 on grass and 7–5 on hard courts. The pair often met at Grand Slam level, with nine out of their 24 meetings coming in the majors, with Nadal leading 7–2 (3–0 at Wimbledon, 2–0 at the French Open, 1–1 at the Australian Open and 1–1 at the US Open).[526] Eight of these nine appearances were at the quarterfinal and semifinal level. They never met in a major final, however, Murray leads 3–1 in ATP finals, with Nadal winning at Indian Wells in 2009[527] and Murray winning in Rotterdam the same year,[528]Tokyo[529] in 2011, and at Madrid in 2015.
Murray lost three consecutive major semifinals to Nadal in 2011 from the French Open to the US Open. The pair had not met for three years since the final of the 2011 Japan Open until the quarter-finals of the 2014 Rome Masters.[530] At the semifinal stage of the 2014 French Open, Nadal triumphed in a dominant straight sets win for the loss of just 6 games. In one of their last meetings, Murray beat Nadal for the first time on clay, and the first time in a Masters 1000 final, at the Madrid Open in 2015.[531] Murray fell to Nadal in the semifinals of the 2016 Monte Carlo Masters, despite taking the first set.[532] Three weeks later they met again at the semi-final stage of the 2016 Madrid Open, this time Murray winning the match in straight sets.[533]
Murray vs. Wawrinka
Murray and Stan Wawrinka played 23 times with Murray leading 13–10. Murray leads 9–4 on hard courts and 3–0 on grass courts while Wawrinka leads 6–1 on clay courts. They also met eight times in the majors, with Wawrinka leading 5–3.[534] They contested some close matches and one of their most notable meetings was in the 2009 Wimbledon fourth round, which Murray won in five sets; this was the first men's match to be played under the Wimbledon roof, having the latest finish for a Wimbledon match at the time.[535] Wawrinka beat Murray in four sets at the 2010 US Open[536] and ended Murray's title defence at the 2013 US Open quarterfinals with a straight sets victory,[537] but lost as defending champion to Murray in the semifinals of the 2016 French Open.[538]
Murray had an all-court game with an emphasis on defensive baseline play, and in 2009 professional tennis coach Paul Annacone stated that Murray "may be the best counterpuncher on tour today."[539][540] His strengths included groundstrokes with low error rate, the ability to anticipate and react, and his transition from defence to offence with speed, which enabled him to hit winners from defensive positions. Murray also had one of the best two-handed backhands on the tour,[541] while he primarily used his more passive forehand and a sliced backhand to let opponents play into his defensive game before playing more offensively.[542]Tim Henman stated in 2013 that Murray may have the best lob in the game, succeeding Lleyton Hewitt. Murray's tactics often involved passive exchanges from the baseline. He was capable of injecting sudden pace into his groundstrokes to surprise his opponents who were used to the slow rally. Murray was one of the top returners in the game, often able to block back fast serves with his excellent reach and ability to anticipate.[543]
Murray is known for having been one of the most intelligent tacticians on the court, often constructing points.[544][545] Other strengths in his game, although not huge parts of his game, included his drop shot[546] and net game.[547] As he played predominantly from the baseline, he usually approached the net to volley when finishing points more quickly.[548] Murray was most proficient on a fast surface, like grass, where he won eight singles titles including the Wimbledon Championships and the 2012 Olympic Gold Medal, although hard courts were his preferred surface.[540] He worked hard since 2008 on improving his clay court game,[549] ultimately winning his first clay titles during 2015 at Munich and Madrid, as well as reaching his first French Open final during 2016. While Murray's serve was a major weapon for him, with his first serve reaching speeds of 130mph or higher on some occasions and winning him many free points,[550] it could become inconsistent when hit under pressure,[551] especially with a more vulnerable and slower second serve. Since the 2011 season, under Ivan Lendl's coaching, Murray played a more offensive game and also worked to improve his second serve, forehand, consistency and mental game which were all crucial to his further success.[550][552][553][554]
Endorsements and equipment
In 2009, German manufacturer Adidas and Murray signed a five-year deal worth £10 million. This included wearing their range of tennis shoes.[555] The contract with Adidas allowed Murray to keep his shirt sleeve sponsors Shiatzy Chen, Royal Bank of Scotland and Highland Spring. Before he was signed by Adidas in late 2009, he wore Fred Perry apparel.[556] At the end of their contract together Adidas decided not to re-sign with Murray,[557] and he began a 4-year partnership with Under Armour in December 2014,[558] reportedly worth $25 million.[559] Murray signed with Castore for the 2019 season which Murray called his last deal before announcing his retirement.[560][561] Murray used Head rackets, and appeared in advertisements for the brand.[562]
Murray is a founding member of the Malaria No More UK Leadership Council and helped launch the charity in 2009 with David Beckham. Footage from the launch at Wembley Stadium can be seen on YouTube and the charity's website.[567] Murray also made 'Nets Needed', a short public service announcement, for the charity to help raise awareness and funds to help in the fight against malaria.[568] Murray has also taken part in several charity tennis events, including the Rally for Relief events that took place before the start of the 2011 Australian Open.[569]
In June 2013, Murray teamed up with former British No. 1 Tim Henman for a charity doubles match against Murray's coach and eight-time grand slam champion Ivan Lendl, and No. 6 Tomáš Berdych at the Queen's Club in London. The event named Rally Against Cancer was organised to raise money for Royal Marsden Cancer Charity after his best friend and fellow British player Ross Hutchins was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.[570][571] The event took place following the final day of competitive play at the AEGON Championships, on Sunday 16 June. Subsequently, following his victory at the tournament, Murray donated his entire prize money pot to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.[572]
In June 2014, following the death of Elena Baltacha due to liver cancer, Murray featured in an event known as 'Rally for Bally'. Murray played at Queen's Club alongside Victoria Azarenka, Martina Hingis, Heather Watson and his brother Jamie. The event raised money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and the Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis. Children from Baltacha's academy took to the court to play alongside Murray.[573][574] As a result of his various charitable exploits, Murray was awarded the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award for 2014.[575]
Public image
National identity
A sculpture of Oor Wullie depicted as Andy Murray as part of Oor Wullie's Big Bucket Trail.
Murray identifies himself as "Scottish, but also British".[576] His national identity has often been commented on by the media.[577] Much of the discussion about Murray's national identity began before Wimbledon 2006, when he was quoted as saying he would "support whoever England is playing" at the 2006 World Cup. English ex-tennis player Tim Henman confirmed that the remarks had been made in jest and were only in response to Murray being teased by journalist Des Kelly and Henman about Scotland's failure to qualify.[578]
Murray initially refused to endorse either side of the debate in the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, citing the abuse he had received after his 2006 World Cup comments.[579] Just before the referendum, Murray tweeted a message that was considered by the media to be supportive of independence.[lower-alpha 2][580][581][582] He received online abuse for expressing his opinion, including messages that were described as "vile" by Police Scotland; one referred to the Dunblane massacre.[582] A few days after the vote, in which a 55% majority opposed Scottish independence, Murray said that he did not regret stating his view, but said that it was out of character and that he would concentrate on his tennis career in the future.[582]
Other
In 2006, there was controversy after a match with Kenneth Carlsen. Having been given a warning for racket abuse, Murray went on in the post-match interview to state that he and Carlsen had "played like women" during the first set.[583] Murray was booed for the remark, but said later that the comment had been intended as a jocular response to what Svetlana Kuznetsova had said at the Hopman Cup.[584] A few months later, Murray was fined for swearing at the umpire, Adel Aref during a Davis Cup doubles rubber with the Serbia and Montenegro Davis Cup team. Murray refused to shake hands with the umpire at the end of the match.[585]
In 2007, Murray suggested that tennis had a match-fixing problem, stating that everyone knows it goes on,[586] in the wake of the investigation surrounding Nikolay Davydenko.[587] Both Davydenko and Rafael Nadal questioned his comments, but Murray responded that his words had been taken out of context.[588]
In a June 2015 column written for the French sports newspaper L'Équipe, Murray criticised what he described as a double standard applied by many in their attitudes towards Amélie Mauresmo in her role as Murray's coach, highlighting how many observers attributed his poor performances during the early part of her tenure to her appointment, which Murray denied, before pointing out that his previous coaches had not been blamed by the media for other spells of poor form. He also lamented the lack of female coaches working in elite tennis, and concluded: "Have I become a feminist? Well, if being a feminist is about fighting so that a woman is treated like a man then yes, I suppose I have".[47] Murray has corrected others a number of times on the subject of women's tennis. After BBC host John Inverdale indirectly suggested Murray was the first person to win more than one tennis Olympic gold medal, Murray interjected; "I think Venus and Serena have won about four each."[589] Murray has also argued that male and female tennis players should receive equal amounts of prize money.[590]
Murray has not commented on his personal opinion on Britain's decision to leave the European Union.[591] However, following his win at Wimbledon in 2016, he expressed his surprise at the outcome of the referendum in the UK and added that "it's important that everyone comes together to make the best of it."[592]
From 2020 to 2021, Murray was critical of the ATP's handling of the Alexander Zverev domestic abuse allegations, and urged the ATP to create a formal domestic abuse policy.[593][594][595]
↑ Murray tweeted "Huge day for Scotland today! no campaign negativity last few days totally swayed my view on it. excited to see the outcome. lets do this!"
↑ Shanghai final lost. Novak Djokovic 7–5, 6–7(11), 3–6[606]
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1 2 3 Hattenstone, Simon (9 June 2007). "Boy on the brink". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
↑ Hodgkinson, Mark (21 February 2006). "Andy Murray, the great romantic". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
↑ Weldon, Shelby (18 September 2020). "Andy Murray voices support for renaming Margaret Court Arena". Outsports. Archived from the original on 5 February 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2022. Murray is a vocal supporter of women's rights and the LGBTQ community. He spoke out in 2017 against Margaret Court's anti-gay marriage stance.
↑ "Rally Against Cancer". The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. June 2013. Archived from the original on 16 July 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013. After generously donating his £73,000 prize money from the Aegon Championships, Andy Murray is now sporting The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity name on his sleeve throughout Wimbledon.
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