Murray’s also excited about the chance to bring top-level tennis to Scotland. “We wanted to put on major tennis events in our country,” he said. “We don’t have anything in Scotland, so this is a way to grow the sport. We want to thank fans for all the support they’ve given us.”
Reflecting on the journey he and Andy took from Scotland to the top of the world, Murray says, “It’s a pretty crazy story. Scotland had no tennis tradition or heritage. We grew up in a town of 6-7,000 people, maybe even less. We were incredibly fortunate to have a mum who was an amazing tennis coach. And to have a family around us who made so many sacrifices, driving us all over the country to play tennis.”
Judy Murray’s instructional wisdom puts a strong emphasis on strategy. One of her cornerstone concepts revolves around a single word: trouble. As Judy has often said, “Make trouble. Avoid trouble. Get out of trouble.” That approach made her students—Jamie and Andy most of all—keen students of the game. “She taught us foundations,” said Jamie. “We learned the game, as opposed to just hitting tennis balls.”
For the left-handed Jamie, Judy’s lessons surfaced best in doubles. “I love playing up at the net,” he said. “My doubles is more about precision and reading the game and reading the plays.”