Andy Murray’s older brother Jamie revealed that their ‘quiet’ dad has been just as crucial to their tennis success as Judy… but who is the British star’s father?
Andy and Jamie’s Murray mother Judy is well-known to the public eye, but the same can’t be said for their father.
With that being said, it is believed that the pair’s father has been instrumental in their success in the sport.
Andy will be looking to pick up his second US Open title, as he returns to the site of his maiden grand slam title.
While Judy Murray is often seen supporting both Jamie and Andy, their father William spent more time in the ‘background’ according to Jamie.
Who is William Murray?
William Murray is from Dunblane and is the regional manager for the Scottish newsagent chain RS McColl.
In 1980, Murray tied the knot with Judy Erskine. The pair welcomed their first child Jamie in 1986, while Andy was born a year later.
In 2005, William and Judy divorced after being separated for nine years.
Murray, 68, has since been dating Sam Watson – after the pair first met in 2004. The shop manager got down on bended knee to propose to mother-of-three on Christmas Eve 2014 during a romantic beach walk.
Murray and Watson tied the knot at Andy’s hotel Cromlix House in Dunblane in 2016.
What is William’s relationship with Andy like?
In 2019, Andy Murray’s brother Jamie revealed that their ‘quiet’ father has been just as crucial to their tennis success as Judy.
Speaking on Lorraine, Murray, older brother of Andy, said their mother Judy often got all the headlines because she’s ‘in the public eye’ but William was the one who would also ‘ferry’ the duo to tournaments and wash and iron their kit when they were younger.
‘Mum’s in the public eye. My Dad, he was there for us, raised us as much as my mum.
‘We lived with him when my parents separated when we were younger.
‘He did a lot of the ferrying around to tournaments, all the washing and ironing – all the fun stuff I’m sure he enjoyed. He’s in the background but he’s a great dad to us.’
William told the Daily Record back in 2009 that both Andy and Jamie took the divorce hard.
‘I had to tell them that their mum was leaving home,’ Murray said.
‘It ripped me apart to have to hurt them by telling them what I did. They were distraught.
‘They are very different personalities but they took the news much the same way.’
How is William’s relationship with Judy?
Speaking to The Telegraph in 2007, Andy admitted he always felt there was competition between his parents.
‘If I stayed with my mother for two nights, then I felt I should stay with my father for two nights. At Christmas, I didn’t know how long to spend with each of them.
‘I would get stuck in the middle of their arguments. I would get really upset, and one of the things I would have loved to have more than anything was a family that worked better together, although I love my mother and father to bits.’
However, the pair have appeared to buried the hatchet as they were seen sharing a warm embrace at the Wimbledon Champions’ Ball in 2013.