10 reasons why fans love Andy Murray
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As the curtains close on an incredible career in the life of Andy Murray following his Paris Olympics exit, we reflect on what has made the Brit an enduring fan favourite over the years.
A deep-thinking statesman known for his dry and self-deprecating humour off the court and fighting spirit on it, Murray has long been one of the most popular figures on the ATP Tour. The Briton has often used social media as a way to give fans a glimpse into his personal life, with humour regularly at the centre of his posts.
As we celebrate the career of the former No.1, we look back at 10 of our favourite Murray moments through the years.
1. Mauresmo coaching stint highlights support for women’s tennis
Throughout his career, Murray has been a staunch supporter of women in sport. After he brought on former WTA No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo as his coach in 2014, the negative reactions to the appointment gave him even deeper appreciation for the challenges women face in tennis and across the sporting landscape.
The groundbreaking appointment made Murray the first male player of his stature to work with a lead female coach. While it was a natural fit for Murray — whose mother, Judy, was his first coach — many outsiders were quick to criticise the Frenchwomen for any of his struggles.
“Since then, I have been asked about women's equality and I would find it hard to look any of the top female tennis players in the eye if I did not speak my mind,” Murray wrote in a 2017 BBC essay.
The Briton has made a habit of correcting journalists who neglect the achievements of women in tennis, including at Wimbledon in 2017, when he gruffly reminded a reporter that Sam Querrey was the first “male player” from the US to reach a major semi-final since 2009.
More recently, Murray has frequently used his platform on X, formerly known as Twitter, to highlight the women of the WTA Tour — with praise for Mirra Andreeva and Noami Osaka notable among recent examples.
"Have I become a feminist?" Murray wrote in a 2015 L'equipe column. "Well, if being a feminist is about fighting so that a woman is treated like a man then yes, I suppose I have."
2. “Marriage Works!”
Donning a traditional Scottish kilt, Murray married longtime girlfriend Kim Sears in his hometown of Dunblane in April 2015. Tim Henman was among the few celebrity guests at the low-key affair.
Immediately following the nuptials, Murray won back-to-back titles in Munich and Madrid. Upon beating Rafael Nadal to win the Madrid title in May, he famously wrote “Marriage Works!” on the camera lens after maintaining his undefeated record as a married man.
“It has been nice and a lot of people have spoken about the honeymoon period," Murray said at the time. "But we've been together a very long time and getting married was the next step.
“I've always said if the personal stuff is happy and under control, that helps your performance on the court.”
3. Living up to the billing at the BBC Sports Personality Awards
Murray is the first and only athlete to win three BBC Sports Personality Awards, having received the honour in 2013, 2015 and 2016. On each occasion, his acceptance speeches showcased his comedic chops with some jokes aimed at his favourite target: himself.
“No matter how excited I try to sound, my voice still sounds incredibly boring,” Murray said after winning his first award. “So I’m very happy and excited right now, but that’s just my voice. I’m sorry.”
In 2015 — the only occasion when he delivered his speech on site at the awards ceremony — Murray mentioned a newspaper article that said he was “duller than a weekend in Worthing.”
“I thought that was a bit harsh… to Worthing,” Murray joked.
Continuing the theme of laughing at himself, Murray noted in his 2016 speech that his wife voted for British equestrian Nick Skelton rather than him!
4. Wimbledon mixed doubles with Serena Williams
As Murray eased back into competition following hip surgery, he joined forces with Serena Williams to form perhaps the most star-studded doubles team in Grand Slam history. The famous partners picked up two wins in must-see matches at the All England Club in 2019.
One of the more memorable points in their run came in the opening round, when Williams was stranded at the net after chasing down a net cord. The American fell as she tried to defend herself, leaving Murray scrambling. Though they lost what was a set point against Alexa Guarachi and Andreas Mies, Murray and Serena shared a laugh on the way to a 6-4, 6-1 win.
Throughout their run, which ended after a three-set defeat to top seeds Bruno Soares and Nicole Melichar, debate raged amongst fans about the proper nickname for the pair. The top contenders included “SerAndy” and “MurRena”.
Asked for his preference, Murray deferred: “I think Serena’s the boss so whatever she says goes,” he joked.
5. Bullseye! Murray hits Lendl in doubles charity match in 2013 at Queen’s
Long before he began coaching Murray in 2012, Ivan Lendl was known for his intimidating presence on the tennis court. As a player, he never shied away from going at opponents.
At a 2013 charity match at Queen’s Club, Murray was the one who took aim at his coach… and the record five-time Queen’s Club champion succeeded with a direct hit off a swinging volley. Huge celebrations followed, after which Murray offered an apology of questionable sincerity to his coach.
“If I'm playing well enough to hit Ivan Lendl with a forehand for the first time ever, I reckon I'm in pretty good shape for Wimbledon,” Murray wrote in a BBC column soon after.
“Drilling my coach at the net after trying for a year and a half rounded off pretty much the perfect day. I hit it so cleanly — it was the best shot I played all week — and I already know that Ivan will try to get me back when we practise together this week. Believe me, he won't have any concerns about injuring me the week before Wimbledon.
“As he always says: ‘It's just a tennis ball, it's not a hockey puck.’”
6. Wedding ring: Lost & found at Indian Wells
Murray ties his wedding ring to his shoelaces when he plays — a sweet gesture that nearly turned sour for the Briton in 2021. After a particularly hot training session in Indian Wells, Murray left his sweaty sneakers outside by his car overnight to dry. When he returned the next morning, they were gone.
It was only when his physio asked him about his ring that he realised he had been dealt a double blow. Murray picked up a new pair of trainers at a local pro shop, but had to work a little harder to track down the ring.
He took to Instagram to tell the story and appeal for help. Fortunately, the tale had a happy ending.
After making some calls to hotel security, he shared another Instagram video the next day with the good news: “A little update for everyone: Would you believe it? They still absolutely stink, but the shoes are back, the wedding ring is back and I’m back in the good books. Let’s go!”
7. The social media comic
Murray has been known to crack a joke on social media, and we’ve rounded up a few memorable ones here.
Where else to start but his famous Christmas jumper post on X, where he revels in his delight at what some might call an “ugly sweater”.
Sticking with the family theme, there are the many online spats he’s had with brother Jamie and mother Judy… like when Jamie took offense to their mum’s comment on a photo of Andy and famed football manager Jose Mourinho. Of course, the younger brother was quick to set the record straight.
Quick to mock his countrymen for any number of reasons — like Jack Draper for his modelling prowess — Murray also takes plenty of shots at himself. On Instagram, he’s shared this video of a wall hit gone wrong and another poking fun at his grunting.
More recently, he even risked the wrath of Swifties everywhere by congratulating Taylor Swift on her “stunning performance” watching boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl 58.
8. Playing the fool: Prank victim
As one of the more well-liked players on the ATP Tour, Murray has plenty of friends and colleagues who are eager to get the better of him in prank wars.
In 2023 at the ATP 500 in Washington, D.C., Frances Tiafoe sneakily listened to a very thoughtful answer of Murray’s while all but breathing down the Briton’s neck. After about 30 seconds of waiting for Murray to notice him, Tiafoe revealed himself by chiming in.
“How long was he there for?” Murray asked after rolling his eyes. Rafael Nadal executed a more complex prank long before that. When Murray was out to dinner with his wife, the Spaniard sent him a series of flirty text messages from another number, enjoying the awkwardness he created from afar.
“I was the joke,” Murray said, explaining that Nadal eventually tapped him on the shoulder and gave himself up. “It was an uncomfortable few minutes for me.”
Murray’s tormentors also include his own children. Speaking at Indian Wells in 2022, he shared that his oldest daughter was becoming aware of his fame — and using it against him.
“Sometimes she calls me 'Andy Murray', which I find incredibly awkward," he laughed. "I'm like, ‘No, I'm daddy. I'm not 'Andy Murray', I'm daddy."
"She does it now to wind me up. She does it especially when she's around her friends and stuff."
9. Undercover ice cream prank in Cincinnati
An unsuspecting prankee many times, Murray has also played the role of prankster quite well on occasion — like when he went undercover to give away free ice cream in Cincinnati in 2015.
Fully committing to the role, Murray recommended the key lime pie and black raspberry flavours while fending off any suggestions that he resembled the British No. 1.
When two fans saw through his disguise, they lamented that they would not be on site to see Murray play live.
“That’s probably not a bad thing,” Murray replied, true to form as ever.
10. Fraser McKnight
Murray played a starring role in the ATP Tour's 'The Tour: A Reality Show' — a behind-the-scenes look at the production of the "fake" tennis season in 2024. Right at home in the mini mockumentary, the former No.1 revealed his true identity: actor Fraser McKnight.
"I think that's what people don't realize. It's all just scripted," Murray deadpanned to the cameras. "The players, the matches, it's all just kind of made up... None of it's real."
"Let's face it, People are stupid, so they'll buy anything."
This editorial feature is courtesy of ATPTour.com
