![]() Murray in 2016 | |
Full name | Andrew Barron Murray |
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Country (sports) |
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Residence | Leatherhead, Surrey, England [2] |
Born | [3] Glasgow, Scotland [4] [5] [6] | 15 May 1987
Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) [7] [8] [9] [10] |
Turned pro | 2005 [8] |
Retired | 2024 |
Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
Coach | Ivan Lendl (2012–14, 2016–17, 2022–2023) [11] |
Prize money | US $64,677,584
[12] * 4th all-time leader in earnings |
Official website | andymurray.com |
Singles | |
Career record | 739–262 (73.8%) [a] |
Career titles | 46 ( 15th in the Open Era) |
Highest ranking | No. 1 (7 November 2016) |
Grand Slam singles results | |
Australian Open | F ( 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016) |
French Open | F ( 2016) |
Wimbledon | W ( 2013, 2016) |
US Open | W ( 2012) |
Other tournaments | |
Tour Finals | W ( 2016) |
Olympic Games | W ( 2012, 2016) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 83–86 (49.1%) |
Career titles | 3 |
Highest ranking | No. 51 (17 October 2011) |
Grand Slam doubles results | |
Australian Open | 1R ( 2006) |
French Open | 2R ( 2006) |
Wimbledon | 2R ( 2019) |
US Open | 2R ( 2008) |
Other doubles tournaments | |
Olympic Games | QF ( 2020, 2024) |
Mixed doubles | |
Career record | 7–4 |
Career titles | 0 |
Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
Wimbledon | 3R ( 2019) |
Other mixed doubles tournaments | |
Olympic Games | F ( 2012) |
Team competitions | |
Davis Cup | W ( 2015) |
Hopman Cup | F ( 2010) |
Medal record |
Sir Andrew Barron Murray OBE (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. A month earlier, he had won the men's singles gold medal against Federer at the 2012 London Olympics, and a silver medal in mixed doubles.
From 2013 through 2016, Murray reached another six major finals; he won two of these, at Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016. 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 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 that season, 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 is an all-court player who excels in particular at defence, returning serve and constructing points. He is generally regarded as having one of the best and 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.
Andy Murray was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of Judy Murray (née Erskine) and William Murray. [5] His maternal grandfather, Roy Erskine, was a professional footballer in the late 1950s. [13] Murray is a supporter of Hibernian Football Club, one of the teams his grandfather represented, [14] [15] and Arsenal Football Club. [16] Murray began playing tennis at the age of three, when his mother Judy took him to play on the local courts. [17] 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. [18] 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). [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]
Murray grew up in Dunblane and attended Dunblane Primary School. Both he and his brother were present during the 1996 Dunblane school massacre, [24] when Thomas Hamilton killed 16 children and a teacher before shooting himself; Murray took cover in a classroom. [25] Murray says he was too young to understand what was happening and is generally reluctant to talk about it in interviews, [26] 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. [27] Murray later attended Dunblane High School. [28] [29]
Murray's parents split up when he was 10, with the boys living with their father while being mentored in tennis by their mother. [30] He believes the impact this had on him could be the reason behind his competitive spirit. [31] 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. [32] He then decided to move to Barcelona, Spain. There he studied at the Schiller International School and trained on the clay courts of the Sánchez-Casal Academy, coached by Pato Alvarez. [33] Murray described this time as "a big sacrifice". [29] His parents had to find £40,000 to pay for his 18-month stay there. [30] In Spain, he trained with Emilio Sánchez, former world No. 1 doubles player. [29]
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. [34]
In February 2013, Murray bought Cromlix House hotel near Dunblane for £1.8 million. The hotel had been closed since 2012, [35] but Murray reopened it in April 2014. [36] 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. [37]
Murray began dating Kim Sears, daughter of player-turned-coach Nigel Sears, in 2005. [38] [39] Their engagement was announced in November 2014, [39] and they married on 11 April 2015 at Dunblane Cathedral in his home town, [40] with the reception at his Cromlix House hotel. The couple previously lived in Oxshott, Surrey [2] but in 2022, moved to nearby Leatherhead. [41] 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. [42] [43] [44] [45] [46]
Murray has been repeatedly vocal in his support for women players and coaches. [47] [48] He is also a vocal supporter of LGBT+ rights and supports same-sex marriage. [49] 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. [50] [51] 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. [52] Osaka ultimately played and won the match.
Leon Smith, Murray's tennis coach from 11 to 17, [33] 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. [53] [54]
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. [55] [56] In the semis, Murray overcame Mischa Zverev, but lost the final to Russia's Alexandre Krasnoroutskiy. [57] 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. [56]
In July 2003, Murray started out on the Challenger and Futures circuit. In his first tournament, he reached the quarter-finals of the Manchester Challenger. [58] In September, Murray won his first senior title by taking the Glasgow Futures event. [59] He also reached the semi-finals of the Edinburgh Futures event. [60]
For the first six months of 2004, Murray had a knee injury and could not play. [61] 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. [62] Murray then went on to win Futures events in Xàtiva [63] and Rome. [64]
In September 2004, he won the Junior US Open and was selected for the Davis Cup World Group play-off match against Austria later that month; [65] however, he was not selected to play. Later that year, he won BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year. [66]
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. [67]
Murray began 2005 ranked No. 407, [68] but whilst in South America in January he injured his back and was forced to take three months off. [61] In March 2005, he became the youngest Briton to play in the Davis Cup. [69] 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. [70]
Murray beat Tim Henman in their first meeting, at the Basel Swiss Indoors in the first round, and eventually reached the quarter-finals. [71] In November 2005, Murray captained Scotland at the inaugural Aberdeen Cup against England led by Greg Rusedski. [72]
In 2012, Murray competed in the final major of the season 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 the Canadian 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, [73] and the first Scottish-born player to win a Grand Slam final since Harold Mahony in 1896. [74] The win would also set several records for Murray: it involved 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. [75] By defeating Djokovic in the final, Murray achieved his 100th Grand Slam match win of his career. The victory made Murray part of the " Big Four" according to many pundits and contemporaries, including Novak Djokovic. [76] [77] In his first tournament after the US Open, Murray reached the semi-finals of the Rakuten Japan Open after entering as defending champion. He was beaten by Milos Raonic in a close three-set match.
Going into Wimbledon in 2013, Murray had not lost a match on grass since the previous year's final, and was on a winning streak of 11 matches on grass. In the first two rounds, Murray faced Benjamin Becker [78] and Yen-hsun Lu [79] respectively, defeating both in straight sets. His third round match was against 32nd seed Tommy Robredo, and despite a tour comeback over the past year, Murray overcame the Spaniard in straight sets to set up a clash with Mikhail Youzhny, the highest seed left in Murray's half following the unexpectedly early exits of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. [80] Despite facing a fightback in the second set, Murray won in straight sets to make it through to his tenth consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final, [81] in which he was to play Fernando Verdasco, the first left-handed player Murray had faced since the 2012 US Open. For the seventh time in his career, Murray had to come back from a deficit of two sets to ultimately come through in five, [82] setting up a semi-final clash with 24th seed Jerzy Janowicz, the Polish player who beat Murray in their previous encounter. After Murray failed to break Janowicz's serve, the Pole took the opening set in the tiebreak, following a double fault from Murray. However, Murray managed to up his level of play, and won the next three sets, making it through to his second consecutive Wimbledon final, and third consecutive major final against Novak Djokovic. [83] 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, the first Scot of either sex to win a Wimbledon singles title since Harold Mahony in 1896, and to extend his winning streak on grass to 18 matches. [84]
At the final of Wimbledon on 10 July 2016, Murray defeated Raonic in straight sets to win his second Wimbledon title and third major title overall. [85] His Wimbledon crown was his 3rd title of the season and 38th career Tour title. At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Murray 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. [86] 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. However, his run came to an end when he lost to sixth seed Kei Nishikori in five sets despite holding a two sets to one lead.
On 11 January 2019, 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. [87] 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". [88] He hoped to make it through to Wimbledon, [88] [89] 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". [87] 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. [90] [91] [92]
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. [93] 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. [94]
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 Tomas Machac. [95] 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 July 23, 2024, Murray announced that he would retire from active professional tennis after the 2024 Paris Olympics, concluding a career spanning nearly two decades. [96] Subsequently, he withdrew from the singles event in the Olympics, deciding to participate only in the doubles event with Dan Evans. [97] He made it to the Quarter Finals before losing to Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul. [98]
Novak Djokovic and Murray met 36 times with Djokovic leading 25–11. [99] [100] 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. [99] 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. [101] [102] Due to the tight competition between 2008 and 2013, many saw this as the emerging rivalry. [103] [104] 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. [105] [106] 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 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. [107] Federer leads 5–3 in finals, having won each of their Grand Slam final meetings at the 2008 US Open [108] 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 [109] 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. [110] 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. [107]
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). [111] 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 [112] and Murray winning in Rotterdam the same year, [113] Tokyo [114] 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. [115] 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. [116] Murray fell to Nadal in the semifinals of the 2016 Monte Carlo Masters, despite taking the first set. [117] 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. [118]
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. [119] 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. [120] Wawrinka beat Murray in four sets at the 2010 US Open [121] and ended Murray's title defence at the 2013 US Open quarterfinals with a straight sets victory, [122] but lost as defending champion to Murray in the semifinals of the 2016 French Open. [123]
Murray plays 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." [124] [125] His strengths include groundstrokes with low error rate, the ability to anticipate and react, and his transition from defence to offence with speed, which enables him to hit winners from defensive positions. Murray also has one of the best two-handed backhands on the tour, with dynamic stroke execution [126] while he primarily uses his forehand, which is more passive, and a sliced backhand to let opponents play into his defensive game before playing more offensively. [127] Tim Henman stated in 2013 that Murray may have the best lob in the game, succeeding Lleyton Hewitt. Murray's tactics often involve passive exchanges from the baseline. He is capable of injecting sudden pace into his groundstrokes to surprise his opponents who are used to the slow rally. Murray is also one of the top returners in the game, often able to block back fast serves with his excellent reach and ability to anticipate. For this reason, Murray is rarely aced. [128]
Murray is known for being one of the most intelligent tacticians on the court, often constructing points. [129] [130] Other strengths in his game, although not huge parts of his game, include his drop shot [131] and net game. [132] As he plays predominantly from the baseline, he usually approaches the net to volley when finishing points more quickly. [133] Murray is most proficient on a fast surface, like grass, where he has won eight singles titles including the Wimbledon Championships and the 2012 Olympic Gold Medal, although hard courts are his preferred surface. [125] He has worked hard since 2008 on improving his clay court game, [134] 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 is a major weapon for him, with his first serve reaching speeds of 130 mph or higher on some occasions and winning him many free points, [135] it can become inconsistent when hit under pressure, [136] especially with a more vulnerable and slower second serve. Since the 2011 season, under Ivan Lendl's coaching, Murray has played a more offensive game and has also worked to improve his second serve, forehand, consistency and mental game which have all been crucial to his further success. [135] [137] [138] [139]
In 2009, German manufacturer Adidas and Murray signed a five-year deal worth £30 million. This included wearing their range of tennis shoes. [140] 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. [141] At the end of their contract together Adidas decided not to re-sign with Murray, [142] and he began a 4-year partnership with Under Armour in December 2014, [143] reportedly worth $25 million. [144] Murray signed with Castore for the 2019 season which Murray called his last deal before announcing his retirement. [145] [146] Murray uses Head rackets, and has appeared in advertisements for the brand. [147]
Murray's coach has changed through the years, as follows: Leon Smith (1998–2004), Pato Álvarez (2003–2005), Mark Petchey (2005–2006), Brad Gilbert (2006–2007), Miles Maclagan (2007–2010), Àlex Corretja (2010–2011), Ivan Lendl (2011–2014, 2016–2017, 2022–2023), Amélie Mauresmo (2014–2016), Jonas Björkman (2015), [148] Jamie Delgado (2016–2021). [149] In 2022 he was coached for a short while by Dani Vallverdu; [150] Ivan Lendl has been his coach since March 2022 until November 2023. [151] [152]
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. [153] 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. [154] 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. [155]
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. [156] [157] 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. [158]
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. [159] [160] As a result of his various charitable exploits, Murray was awarded the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award for 2014. [161]
Murray identifies himself as " Scottish, but also British". [162] His national identity has often been commented on by the media. [163] 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. [164]
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. [165] Just before the referendum, Murray tweeted a message that was considered by the media to be supportive of independence. [b] [166] [167] [168] He received online abuse for expressing his opinion, including messages that were described as "vile" by Police Scotland; one referred to the Dunblane massacre. [168] 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. [168]
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. [169] 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. [170] 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. [171]
In 2007, Murray suggested that tennis had a match-fixing problem, stating that everyone knows it goes on, [172] in the wake of the investigation surrounding Nikolay Davydenko. [173] Both Davydenko and Rafael Nadal questioned his comments, but Murray responded that his words had been taken out of context. [174]
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". [48] 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." [175] Murray has also argued that male and female tennis players should receive equal amounts of prize money. [176]
Murray has not commented on his personal opinion on Britain's decision to leave the European Union. [177] 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." [178]
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. [179] [180] [181]
W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
Tournament | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | SR | W–L | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Open | A | 1R | 4R | 1R | 4R | F | F | SF | F | QF | F | F | 4R | A | 1R | A | A | 2R | 3R | 1R | 0 / 16 | 51–16 | 76% |
French Open | A | 1R | A | 3R | QF | 4R | SF | QF | A | SF | SF | F | SF | A | A | 1R | A | A | A | 1R | 0 / 12 | 39–12 | 76% |
Wimbledon | 3R | 4R | A | QF | SF | SF | SF | F | W | QF | SF | W | QF | A | A | NH | 3R | 2R | 2R | A | 2 / 15 | 61–13 | 82% |
US Open | 2R | 4R | 3R | F | 4R | 3R | SF | W | QF | QF | 4R | QF | A | 2R | A | 2R | 1R | 3R | 2R | A | 1 / 17 | 49–16 | 75% |
Win–loss | 3–2 | 6–4 | 5–2 | 12–4 | 15–4 | 16–4 | 21–4 | 22–3 | 17–2 | 17–4 | 19–4 | 23–3 | 12–3 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 4–3 | 4–3 | 0–2 | 3 / 60 | 200–57 | 78% |
Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 2008 | US Open | Hard |
![]() |
2–6, 5–7, 2–6 |
Loss | 2010 | Australian Open | Hard |
![]() |
3–6, 4–6, 6–7(11–13) |
Loss | 2011 | Australian Open | Hard |
![]() |
4–6, 2–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 2012 | Wimbledon | Grass |
![]() |
6–4, 5–7, 3–6, 4–6 |
Win | 2012 | US Open | Hard |
![]() |
7–6(12–10), 7–5, 2–6, 3–6, 6–2 |
Loss | 2013 | Australian Open | Hard |
![]() |
7–6(7–2), 6–7(3–7), 3–6, 2–6 |
Win | 2013 | Wimbledon | Grass |
![]() |
6–4, 7–5, 6–4 |
Loss | 2015 | Australian Open | Hard |
![]() |
6–7(5–7), 7–6(7–4), 3–6, 0–6 |
Loss | 2016 | Australian Open | Hard |
![]() |
1–6, 5–7, 6–7(3–7) |
Loss | 2016 | French Open | Clay |
![]() |
6–3, 1–6, 2–6, 4–6 |
Win | 2016 | Wimbledon (2) | Grass |
![]() |
6–4, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–2) |
Tournament | 2003– 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | SR | W–L | Win % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year-end championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
ATP Finals | did not qualify | SF | RR | SF | RR | SF | A | RR | RR | W | did not qualify | 1 / 8 | 16–11 | 59% |
Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 2016 | ATP Finals, London | Hard (i) |
![]() |
6–3, 6–4 |
Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gold | 2012 | Summer Olympics | Grass |
![]() |
6–2, 6–1, 6–4 |
Gold | 2016 | Summer Olympics (2) | Hard |
![]() |
7–5, 4–6, 6–2, 7–5 |
Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Silver | 2012 | Summer Olympics | Grass |
![]() |
![]() |
6–2, 3–6, [8–10] |
Time span | Records at each Grand Slam tournament | Players matched |
---|---|---|
2008 US Open — 2012 Wimbledon |
First four finals lost [182] | Ivan Lendl |
2008 US Open — 2016 French Open |
Runner-up finishes at all four majors |
Roger Federer Ivan Lendl |
2012 US Open — 2013 Australian Open |
Reached final of next consecutive major after winning first title [183] | Daniil Medvedev |
2012 Olympics — 2012 US Open |
Winner of Olympic singles gold medal and US Open in same calendar year [184] | Stands alone |
Grand Slam tournaments | Time span | Records at each Grand Slam tournament | Players matched |
---|---|---|---|
Australian Open | 2010–2016 | 5 runner-up finishes overall [185] | Stands alone |
Australian Open | 2010–2011 2015–2016 |
2 consecutive runner-up finishes |
Pat Cash Steve Denton Stefan Edberg |
Wimbledon | 2012 | Latest finish for a match (11:02) vs. Marcos Baghdatis [186] | Marcos Baghdatis |
US Open | 2012 | Longest final (by duration) vs. Novak Djokovic [187] |
Ivan Lendl Mats Wilander Novak Djokovic |
US Open | 2012 | Longest tiebreak in a final (by points – 22) vs. Novak Djokovic [187] | Novak Djokovic |
Time span | Record accomplished | Players matched |
---|---|---|
Olympics | ||
2012–2016 | 2 consecutive Olympics singles gold medals [188] | Stands alone |
2012–2016 | 2 Olympic singles gold medals overall | |
2012–2016 | 3 medals overall (singles, doubles & mixed) |
Fernando González Mike Bryan |
Davis Cup | ||
2015 | Maximum 8 singles rubber wins in a Davis Cup season [189] |
John McEnroe Mats Wilander |
2011 | Triple bagel win (6–0, 6–0, 6–0) | 16 players |
Shanghai Masters | ||
2010–2016 | 4 finals overall | Novak Djokovic |
2010–2011 | 2 consecutive titles | |
2010–2012 | 3 consecutive finals | Stands alone |
Queen's Club Championships | ||
2009–2016 | 5 singles titles | Stands alone |
2009–2019 | 6 titles overall | Stands alone |
In a Single Year / Season | ||
2016 | Winner of Grand Slam, Olympics Gold Medal, ATP Masters 1000 Title and ATP Finals | Stands alone |
In a Career | ||
2012–2016 | Final of all four Grand Slams, Olympic Games singles, ATP Finals and Davis Cup |
Roger Federer Rafael Nadal |
2012–2016 | Winner of a Grand Slam, Olympics singles Gold Medal, Davis Cup, the ATP Finals and year-end ATP/ITF World number 1 | Andre Agassi |
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.
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.
{{
cite web}}
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link)
The only other man in the Open era to lose his first four major finals is Ivan Lendl ...
![]() Murray in 2016 | |
Full name | Andrew Barron Murray |
---|---|
Country (sports) |
![]() ![]() |
Residence | Leatherhead, Surrey, England [2] |
Born | [3] Glasgow, Scotland [4] [5] [6] | 15 May 1987
Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) [7] [8] [9] [10] |
Turned pro | 2005 [8] |
Retired | 2024 |
Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
Coach | Ivan Lendl (2012–14, 2016–17, 2022–2023) [11] |
Prize money | US $64,677,584
[12] * 4th all-time leader in earnings |
Official website | andymurray.com |
Singles | |
Career record | 739–262 (73.8%) [a] |
Career titles | 46 ( 15th in the Open Era) |
Highest ranking | No. 1 (7 November 2016) |
Grand Slam singles results | |
Australian Open | F ( 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016) |
French Open | F ( 2016) |
Wimbledon | W ( 2013, 2016) |
US Open | W ( 2012) |
Other tournaments | |
Tour Finals | W ( 2016) |
Olympic Games | W ( 2012, 2016) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 83–86 (49.1%) |
Career titles | 3 |
Highest ranking | No. 51 (17 October 2011) |
Grand Slam doubles results | |
Australian Open | 1R ( 2006) |
French Open | 2R ( 2006) |
Wimbledon | 2R ( 2019) |
US Open | 2R ( 2008) |
Other doubles tournaments | |
Olympic Games | QF ( 2020, 2024) |
Mixed doubles | |
Career record | 7–4 |
Career titles | 0 |
Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
Wimbledon | 3R ( 2019) |
Other mixed doubles tournaments | |
Olympic Games | F ( 2012) |
Team competitions | |
Davis Cup | W ( 2015) |
Hopman Cup | F ( 2010) |
Medal record |
Sir Andrew Barron Murray OBE (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. A month earlier, he had won the men's singles gold medal against Federer at the 2012 London Olympics, and a silver medal in mixed doubles.
From 2013 through 2016, Murray reached another six major finals; he won two of these, at Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016. 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 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 that season, 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 is an all-court player who excels in particular at defence, returning serve and constructing points. He is generally regarded as having one of the best and 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.
Andy Murray was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of Judy Murray (née Erskine) and William Murray. [5] His maternal grandfather, Roy Erskine, was a professional footballer in the late 1950s. [13] Murray is a supporter of Hibernian Football Club, one of the teams his grandfather represented, [14] [15] and Arsenal Football Club. [16] Murray began playing tennis at the age of three, when his mother Judy took him to play on the local courts. [17] 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. [18] 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). [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]
Murray grew up in Dunblane and attended Dunblane Primary School. Both he and his brother were present during the 1996 Dunblane school massacre, [24] when Thomas Hamilton killed 16 children and a teacher before shooting himself; Murray took cover in a classroom. [25] Murray says he was too young to understand what was happening and is generally reluctant to talk about it in interviews, [26] 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. [27] Murray later attended Dunblane High School. [28] [29]
Murray's parents split up when he was 10, with the boys living with their father while being mentored in tennis by their mother. [30] He believes the impact this had on him could be the reason behind his competitive spirit. [31] 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. [32] He then decided to move to Barcelona, Spain. There he studied at the Schiller International School and trained on the clay courts of the Sánchez-Casal Academy, coached by Pato Alvarez. [33] Murray described this time as "a big sacrifice". [29] His parents had to find £40,000 to pay for his 18-month stay there. [30] In Spain, he trained with Emilio Sánchez, former world No. 1 doubles player. [29]
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. [34]
In February 2013, Murray bought Cromlix House hotel near Dunblane for £1.8 million. The hotel had been closed since 2012, [35] but Murray reopened it in April 2014. [36] 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. [37]
Murray began dating Kim Sears, daughter of player-turned-coach Nigel Sears, in 2005. [38] [39] Their engagement was announced in November 2014, [39] and they married on 11 April 2015 at Dunblane Cathedral in his home town, [40] with the reception at his Cromlix House hotel. The couple previously lived in Oxshott, Surrey [2] but in 2022, moved to nearby Leatherhead. [41] 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. [42] [43] [44] [45] [46]
Murray has been repeatedly vocal in his support for women players and coaches. [47] [48] He is also a vocal supporter of LGBT+ rights and supports same-sex marriage. [49] 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. [50] [51] 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. [52] Osaka ultimately played and won the match.
Leon Smith, Murray's tennis coach from 11 to 17, [33] 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. [53] [54]
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. [55] [56] In the semis, Murray overcame Mischa Zverev, but lost the final to Russia's Alexandre Krasnoroutskiy. [57] 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. [56]
In July 2003, Murray started out on the Challenger and Futures circuit. In his first tournament, he reached the quarter-finals of the Manchester Challenger. [58] In September, Murray won his first senior title by taking the Glasgow Futures event. [59] He also reached the semi-finals of the Edinburgh Futures event. [60]
For the first six months of 2004, Murray had a knee injury and could not play. [61] 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. [62] Murray then went on to win Futures events in Xàtiva [63] and Rome. [64]
In September 2004, he won the Junior US Open and was selected for the Davis Cup World Group play-off match against Austria later that month; [65] however, he was not selected to play. Later that year, he won BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year. [66]
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. [67]
Murray began 2005 ranked No. 407, [68] but whilst in South America in January he injured his back and was forced to take three months off. [61] In March 2005, he became the youngest Briton to play in the Davis Cup. [69] 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. [70]
Murray beat Tim Henman in their first meeting, at the Basel Swiss Indoors in the first round, and eventually reached the quarter-finals. [71] In November 2005, Murray captained Scotland at the inaugural Aberdeen Cup against England led by Greg Rusedski. [72]
In 2012, Murray competed in the final major of the season 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 the Canadian 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, [73] and the first Scottish-born player to win a Grand Slam final since Harold Mahony in 1896. [74] The win would also set several records for Murray: it involved 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. [75] By defeating Djokovic in the final, Murray achieved his 100th Grand Slam match win of his career. The victory made Murray part of the " Big Four" according to many pundits and contemporaries, including Novak Djokovic. [76] [77] In his first tournament after the US Open, Murray reached the semi-finals of the Rakuten Japan Open after entering as defending champion. He was beaten by Milos Raonic in a close three-set match.
Going into Wimbledon in 2013, Murray had not lost a match on grass since the previous year's final, and was on a winning streak of 11 matches on grass. In the first two rounds, Murray faced Benjamin Becker [78] and Yen-hsun Lu [79] respectively, defeating both in straight sets. His third round match was against 32nd seed Tommy Robredo, and despite a tour comeback over the past year, Murray overcame the Spaniard in straight sets to set up a clash with Mikhail Youzhny, the highest seed left in Murray's half following the unexpectedly early exits of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. [80] Despite facing a fightback in the second set, Murray won in straight sets to make it through to his tenth consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final, [81] in which he was to play Fernando Verdasco, the first left-handed player Murray had faced since the 2012 US Open. For the seventh time in his career, Murray had to come back from a deficit of two sets to ultimately come through in five, [82] setting up a semi-final clash with 24th seed Jerzy Janowicz, the Polish player who beat Murray in their previous encounter. After Murray failed to break Janowicz's serve, the Pole took the opening set in the tiebreak, following a double fault from Murray. However, Murray managed to up his level of play, and won the next three sets, making it through to his second consecutive Wimbledon final, and third consecutive major final against Novak Djokovic. [83] 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, the first Scot of either sex to win a Wimbledon singles title since Harold Mahony in 1896, and to extend his winning streak on grass to 18 matches. [84]
At the final of Wimbledon on 10 July 2016, Murray defeated Raonic in straight sets to win his second Wimbledon title and third major title overall. [85] His Wimbledon crown was his 3rd title of the season and 38th career Tour title. At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Murray 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. [86] 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. However, his run came to an end when he lost to sixth seed Kei Nishikori in five sets despite holding a two sets to one lead.
On 11 January 2019, 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. [87] 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". [88] He hoped to make it through to Wimbledon, [88] [89] 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". [87] 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. [90] [91] [92]
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. [93] 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. [94]
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 Tomas Machac. [95] 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 July 23, 2024, Murray announced that he would retire from active professional tennis after the 2024 Paris Olympics, concluding a career spanning nearly two decades. [96] Subsequently, he withdrew from the singles event in the Olympics, deciding to participate only in the doubles event with Dan Evans. [97] He made it to the Quarter Finals before losing to Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul. [98]
Novak Djokovic and Murray met 36 times with Djokovic leading 25–11. [99] [100] 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. [99] 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. [101] [102] Due to the tight competition between 2008 and 2013, many saw this as the emerging rivalry. [103] [104] 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. [105] [106] 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 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. [107] Federer leads 5–3 in finals, having won each of their Grand Slam final meetings at the 2008 US Open [108] 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 [109] 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. [110] 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. [107]
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). [111] 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 [112] and Murray winning in Rotterdam the same year, [113] Tokyo [114] 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. [115] 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. [116] Murray fell to Nadal in the semifinals of the 2016 Monte Carlo Masters, despite taking the first set. [117] 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. [118]
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. [119] 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. [120] Wawrinka beat Murray in four sets at the 2010 US Open [121] and ended Murray's title defence at the 2013 US Open quarterfinals with a straight sets victory, [122] but lost as defending champion to Murray in the semifinals of the 2016 French Open. [123]
Murray plays 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." [124] [125] His strengths include groundstrokes with low error rate, the ability to anticipate and react, and his transition from defence to offence with speed, which enables him to hit winners from defensive positions. Murray also has one of the best two-handed backhands on the tour, with dynamic stroke execution [126] while he primarily uses his forehand, which is more passive, and a sliced backhand to let opponents play into his defensive game before playing more offensively. [127] Tim Henman stated in 2013 that Murray may have the best lob in the game, succeeding Lleyton Hewitt. Murray's tactics often involve passive exchanges from the baseline. He is capable of injecting sudden pace into his groundstrokes to surprise his opponents who are used to the slow rally. Murray is also one of the top returners in the game, often able to block back fast serves with his excellent reach and ability to anticipate. For this reason, Murray is rarely aced. [128]
Murray is known for being one of the most intelligent tacticians on the court, often constructing points. [129] [130] Other strengths in his game, although not huge parts of his game, include his drop shot [131] and net game. [132] As he plays predominantly from the baseline, he usually approaches the net to volley when finishing points more quickly. [133] Murray is most proficient on a fast surface, like grass, where he has won eight singles titles including the Wimbledon Championships and the 2012 Olympic Gold Medal, although hard courts are his preferred surface. [125] He has worked hard since 2008 on improving his clay court game, [134] 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 is a major weapon for him, with his first serve reaching speeds of 130 mph or higher on some occasions and winning him many free points, [135] it can become inconsistent when hit under pressure, [136] especially with a more vulnerable and slower second serve. Since the 2011 season, under Ivan Lendl's coaching, Murray has played a more offensive game and has also worked to improve his second serve, forehand, consistency and mental game which have all been crucial to his further success. [135] [137] [138] [139]
In 2009, German manufacturer Adidas and Murray signed a five-year deal worth £30 million. This included wearing their range of tennis shoes. [140] 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. [141] At the end of their contract together Adidas decided not to re-sign with Murray, [142] and he began a 4-year partnership with Under Armour in December 2014, [143] reportedly worth $25 million. [144] Murray signed with Castore for the 2019 season which Murray called his last deal before announcing his retirement. [145] [146] Murray uses Head rackets, and has appeared in advertisements for the brand. [147]
Murray's coach has changed through the years, as follows: Leon Smith (1998–2004), Pato Álvarez (2003–2005), Mark Petchey (2005–2006), Brad Gilbert (2006–2007), Miles Maclagan (2007–2010), Àlex Corretja (2010–2011), Ivan Lendl (2011–2014, 2016–2017, 2022–2023), Amélie Mauresmo (2014–2016), Jonas Björkman (2015), [148] Jamie Delgado (2016–2021). [149] In 2022 he was coached for a short while by Dani Vallverdu; [150] Ivan Lendl has been his coach since March 2022 until November 2023. [151] [152]
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. [153] 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. [154] 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. [155]
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. [156] [157] 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. [158]
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. [159] [160] As a result of his various charitable exploits, Murray was awarded the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award for 2014. [161]
Murray identifies himself as " Scottish, but also British". [162] His national identity has often been commented on by the media. [163] 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. [164]
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. [165] Just before the referendum, Murray tweeted a message that was considered by the media to be supportive of independence. [b] [166] [167] [168] He received online abuse for expressing his opinion, including messages that were described as "vile" by Police Scotland; one referred to the Dunblane massacre. [168] 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. [168]
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. [169] 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. [170] 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. [171]
In 2007, Murray suggested that tennis had a match-fixing problem, stating that everyone knows it goes on, [172] in the wake of the investigation surrounding Nikolay Davydenko. [173] Both Davydenko and Rafael Nadal questioned his comments, but Murray responded that his words had been taken out of context. [174]
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". [48] 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." [175] Murray has also argued that male and female tennis players should receive equal amounts of prize money. [176]
Murray has not commented on his personal opinion on Britain's decision to leave the European Union. [177] 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." [178]
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. [179] [180] [181]
W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
Tournament | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | SR | W–L | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Open | A | 1R | 4R | 1R | 4R | F | F | SF | F | QF | F | F | 4R | A | 1R | A | A | 2R | 3R | 1R | 0 / 16 | 51–16 | 76% |
French Open | A | 1R | A | 3R | QF | 4R | SF | QF | A | SF | SF | F | SF | A | A | 1R | A | A | A | 1R | 0 / 12 | 39–12 | 76% |
Wimbledon | 3R | 4R | A | QF | SF | SF | SF | F | W | QF | SF | W | QF | A | A | NH | 3R | 2R | 2R | A | 2 / 15 | 61–13 | 82% |
US Open | 2R | 4R | 3R | F | 4R | 3R | SF | W | QF | QF | 4R | QF | A | 2R | A | 2R | 1R | 3R | 2R | A | 1 / 17 | 49–16 | 75% |
Win–loss | 3–2 | 6–4 | 5–2 | 12–4 | 15–4 | 16–4 | 21–4 | 22–3 | 17–2 | 17–4 | 19–4 | 23–3 | 12–3 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 4–3 | 4–3 | 0–2 | 3 / 60 | 200–57 | 78% |
Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 2008 | US Open | Hard |
![]() |
2–6, 5–7, 2–6 |
Loss | 2010 | Australian Open | Hard |
![]() |
3–6, 4–6, 6–7(11–13) |
Loss | 2011 | Australian Open | Hard |
![]() |
4–6, 2–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 2012 | Wimbledon | Grass |
![]() |
6–4, 5–7, 3–6, 4–6 |
Win | 2012 | US Open | Hard |
![]() |
7–6(12–10), 7–5, 2–6, 3–6, 6–2 |
Loss | 2013 | Australian Open | Hard |
![]() |
7–6(7–2), 6–7(3–7), 3–6, 2–6 |
Win | 2013 | Wimbledon | Grass |
![]() |
6–4, 7–5, 6–4 |
Loss | 2015 | Australian Open | Hard |
![]() |
6–7(5–7), 7–6(7–4), 3–6, 0–6 |
Loss | 2016 | Australian Open | Hard |
![]() |
1–6, 5–7, 6–7(3–7) |
Loss | 2016 | French Open | Clay |
![]() |
6–3, 1–6, 2–6, 4–6 |
Win | 2016 | Wimbledon (2) | Grass |
![]() |
6–4, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–2) |
Tournament | 2003– 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | SR | W–L | Win % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year-end championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
ATP Finals | did not qualify | SF | RR | SF | RR | SF | A | RR | RR | W | did not qualify | 1 / 8 | 16–11 | 59% |
Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 2016 | ATP Finals, London | Hard (i) |
![]() |
6–3, 6–4 |
Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gold | 2012 | Summer Olympics | Grass |
![]() |
6–2, 6–1, 6–4 |
Gold | 2016 | Summer Olympics (2) | Hard |
![]() |
7–5, 4–6, 6–2, 7–5 |
Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Silver | 2012 | Summer Olympics | Grass |
![]() |
![]() |
6–2, 3–6, [8–10] |
Time span | Records at each Grand Slam tournament | Players matched |
---|---|---|
2008 US Open — 2012 Wimbledon |
First four finals lost [182] | Ivan Lendl |
2008 US Open — 2016 French Open |
Runner-up finishes at all four majors |
Roger Federer Ivan Lendl |
2012 US Open — 2013 Australian Open |
Reached final of next consecutive major after winning first title [183] | Daniil Medvedev |
2012 Olympics — 2012 US Open |
Winner of Olympic singles gold medal and US Open in same calendar year [184] | Stands alone |
Grand Slam tournaments | Time span | Records at each Grand Slam tournament | Players matched |
---|---|---|---|
Australian Open | 2010–2016 | 5 runner-up finishes overall [185] | Stands alone |
Australian Open | 2010–2011 2015–2016 |
2 consecutive runner-up finishes |
Pat Cash Steve Denton Stefan Edberg |
Wimbledon | 2012 | Latest finish for a match (11:02) vs. Marcos Baghdatis [186] | Marcos Baghdatis |
US Open | 2012 | Longest final (by duration) vs. Novak Djokovic [187] |
Ivan Lendl Mats Wilander Novak Djokovic |
US Open | 2012 | Longest tiebreak in a final (by points – 22) vs. Novak Djokovic [187] | Novak Djokovic |
Time span | Record accomplished | Players matched |
---|---|---|
Olympics | ||
2012–2016 | 2 consecutive Olympics singles gold medals [188] | Stands alone |
2012–2016 | 2 Olympic singles gold medals overall | |
2012–2016 | 3 medals overall (singles, doubles & mixed) |
Fernando González Mike Bryan |
Davis Cup | ||
2015 | Maximum 8 singles rubber wins in a Davis Cup season [189] |
John McEnroe Mats Wilander |
2011 | Triple bagel win (6–0, 6–0, 6–0) | 16 players |
Shanghai Masters | ||
2010–2016 | 4 finals overall | Novak Djokovic |
2010–2011 | 2 consecutive titles | |
2010–2012 | 3 consecutive finals | Stands alone |
Queen's Club Championships | ||
2009–2016 | 5 singles titles | Stands alone |
2009–2019 | 6 titles overall | Stands alone |
In a Single Year / Season | ||
2016 | Winner of Grand Slam, Olympics Gold Medal, ATP Masters 1000 Title and ATP Finals | Stands alone |
In a Career | ||
2012–2016 | Final of all four Grand Slams, Olympic Games singles, ATP Finals and Davis Cup |
Roger Federer Rafael Nadal |
2012–2016 | Winner of a Grand Slam, Olympics singles Gold Medal, Davis Cup, the ATP Finals and year-end ATP/ITF World number 1 | Andre Agassi |
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.
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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The only other man in the Open era to lose his first four major finals is Ivan Lendl ...