Andy Murray’s mum Judy: I feel the weight of expectation upon my son at Wimbledon
TENNIS coach and Wimbledon commentator Judy Murray shares her insights into this year’s championship.
She is a former tennis pro, a coach with more than 25 years experience and the mother of a Grand Slam champion. So it’s fair to say Judy Murray knows a thing or two about tennis.
And with Wimbledon in full swing, the 55 year old, who is part of the BBC radio commentary team, told Saturday she struggles to keep a rein on her nerves and feels the weight of pressure on her youngest son, 2013 champion and British No.1 player, Andy.
Here, she shares her insights into the annual tournament and reveals her hopes for a UK women’s champion and her desire for a lasting legacy from her son’s success…
No, I don’t buy into any of that stuff. During the 2012 Wimbledon tournament, I got into the habit of buying lemon-iced doughnuts in the players’ café.
I did it before Andy’s first match, then his second. When he kept winning, I kept on buying the doughnuts. Then he lost in the final to Roger Federer. Suffice to say, I didn’t do that again.
What do you enjoy most about Wimbledon?
I love Wimbledon, it’s the most incredible event. But I’m not sure I enjoy it in quite the same way these days. I find it very, very stressful and I feel the weight of expectation upon Andy.
Is that why you never smile when photographed in the stands?
The media has chosen to portray me as a pushy parent, and Andy and Jamie [her eldest son and Wimbledon 2007 mixed-doubles champion] do get annoyed about it. I’ve never pushed them to do anything.
That was one of the great things about doing Strictly Come Dancing last year – it showed people I’m actually quite normal.
Do you ever get angry during matches?
I’ve never been angry with my kids, but I’ve been angry about match injustices. Andy once played in an under-10s event. He was at match point with a boy bigger and older than him – he claimed that Andy’s ball hadn’t bounced more than once, but it had.
It was a clear case of cheating.
