1987-present
Who Is Andy Murray?
Tennis player Andy Murray turned professional in 2005. In 2012, he won a gold medal at the London Olympics and claimed his first Grand Slam title with a stellar run at the U.S. Open. In 2013, Murray outlasted the field at Wimbledon to become the tournament’s first British men’s singles champion since 1936. In 2016, he won both his second Wimbledon title and second Olympic gold medal. He is currently ranked No. 40 in the world.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Andrew Barron Murray
BORN: May 15, 1987
BIRTHPLACE: Glasgow, Scotland
SPOUSE: Kim Sears (2015-present)
CHILDREN: 4 including, Sophia, Edie, and Teddy
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Taurus
Early Years and Amateur Career
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, on May 15, 1987, to Judy and William Murray, Andrew Barron Murray grew up in Dunblane and began playing tennis at age 3. A former competitive tennis player, Judy coached Andy and his older brother, Jamie, in their early years.
In March 1996, while 8-year-old Murray was sitting in his classroom at Dunblane Primary School, an armed man by the name of Thomas Hamilton entered the facility and shot and killed 17 people — 16 students and one teacher — before turning the gun on himself. During the horrible event, Murray ran and hid in his headmaster’s office.
Tennis wasn’t the only sport in Murray’s childhood. He also played soccer and was scouted by the local professional club, the Glasgow Rangers, but ultimately devoted himself to tennis.
At 12 years old, Murray scored a major youth championship when he won Florida’s Orange Bowl in his age group in 1999. In 2004, he became the world’s No. 1 junior after winning the U.S. Open junior title. Later that year, he was named the BBC’s Young Sports Personality of the Year.
Professional Tennis Career
Shortly after becoming the youngest British player to compete in the Davis Cup, Murray made his professional debut in April 2005. In 2006, with new coach Brad Gilbert, Murray beat top-ranked Roger Federer in Round 2 of the Cincinnati Masters tournament. Also that year, he defeated Andy Roddick en route to winning the SAP Open for his first ATP title. In 2007, Murray claimed a second straight SAP Open and also won the St. Petersburg Open to break into the top 10 rankings.
Murray emerged in the tennis spotlight when he defeated Spanish sensation Rafael Nadal to reach the final of the 2008 U.S. Open, before losing to Federer. He ascended to No. 2 in the world in 2009 and finished runner-up at the Australian Open in both 2010 and 2011.
In 2012, Murray made it to the Wimbledon final for the first time with his semifinal win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Murray’s victory made Scotland and the whole United Kingdom proud—he was the first tennis pro from Great Britain to reach the Wimbledon men’s final since 1938. However, Murray lost in the final to Federer, who claimed his seventh Wimbledon win.
Murray avenged his Wimbledon loss at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, held in London, where he beat Federer to take his first Olympic gold medal. (He also won the silver medal in mixed doubles, alongside Laura Robson.) That September, he continued to burn up the courts with an impressive run through the U.S. Open field. Murray scored an impressive victory over Novak Djokovic in a tough three sets to clinch his first Grand Slam title, becoming the first player from Great Britain since 1977—and the first British man since 1936—to win a Grand Slam singles tournament.
After losing to Djokovic at the 2013 Australian Open, Murray made history that summer by defeating the Serbian player to claim the Wimbledon men’s singles championship. He was the first British man to win the tournament in 77 years and the second Scottish-born player to win Wimbledon since Harold Mahony in 1896.
Murray underwent back surgery in September 2013 following his loss in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. His performance was uneven for much of the 2014 season, though he made news by hiring former women’s champion Amelie Mauresmo to be his coach.
The Scottish player seemingly was back on track when he reached his fourth Australian Open final in early 2015. That March, he scored career victory No. 500 while competing at the Miami Open.
Murray followed with an impressive run at the 2015 French Open, battling back from a two-set deficit in the semifinals before succumbing to Djokovic. A few weeks later, he reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, but his hopes of advancing were cut short by Federer. Murray’s subsequent fourth-round loss at the U.S. Open not only thwarted his last chance for a major title in 2015, it snapped his streak of 18 consecutive appearances in a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Murray began the 2016 season on a strong note, advancing to the Australian Open final before suffering another loss to his nemesis, Djokovic. However, he gained some revenge by defeating Djokovic to claim the Italian Open in May and then sustained his high level of play through the French Open. With his semifinal win over defending champion Stan Wawrinka, Murray became the first British player to reach the French Open final since 1937. However, his bid to add another Slam title fell short when he wound up on the losing end of a blistering Djokovic onslaught once again.
In July 2016, Murray advanced to the semifinals at Wimbledon after defeating Jo Wilfried-Tsonga. In the final, he upended Milos Raonic, the first Canadian man to make it to the Wimbledon final, 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2). The victory was Murray’s third Grand Slam title.
The following month, Murray continued his sterling play by defeating Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro at the Rio Games, making him the first male tennis player to successfully defend his Olympic singles title. In November, he was ranked the No. 1 men’s player in the world for the first time.
Slowed By Injuries and Pseudo Retirement
Hampered by a lingering hip injury for much of 2017, Murray wound up withdrawing from the U.S. Open in late summer. He then underwent surgery the following January.
Murray returned to competitive tennis in June 2018 and was back in Grand Slam action at that year’s U.S. Open but struggled to get into a groove post-operation.
Just before the start of the 2019 Australian Open, Murray announced that his hip was still bothering him and he would likely retire by the conclusion of Wimbledon that summer, if not sooner. However, after battling through a first-round match that ended in defeat, he suggested he might undergo another operation in an attempt to regain mobility on the court. He eventually had BHR surgery in January 2019.
Comeback
Murray returned to the professional tennis scene in June 2019 competing in several tournaments including Queen’s Club Championships, Wimbledon, Canadian Open, and Winston-Salem Open. At Wimbledon, Murray also competed in the mixed doubles tournament, teaming up with Serena Williams. The fan favorites lost in the third round.
However, Murray wasn’t down for long. That October, he notched an emotional victory at the European Open in Antwerp, defeating Stan Wawrinka, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, in the final. His most recent title and 46th overall, Murray celebrated his first tournament win in two years, a period when he struggled with injury and flirted with retirement. “It means a lot,” Murray said after the match. “The past few years have been extremely difficult.”
Beginning in March 2020, professional tennis was suspended for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Murray was back on the court starting in June, and after the ATP Tour restarted in August, Murray competed in the Cincinnati Masters tournament, U.S. Open, and Roland Garros.
Murray had a somewhat unremarkable 2021 season, reaching the quarter-finals in only two smaller tournaments. In June, he was named to Great Britain’s Olympic tennis team, setting up his fourth appearance at the Summer games, held that summer in Tokyo. However, the back-to-back defending singles champion withdrew before his first match due to a quad strain, choosing to compete only in doubles with partner Joe Salisbury. They were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
To start 2022, Murray made to the final of the Sydney Tennis Classic, losing to Russian-born Aslan Karatsev, then ranked No. 20 to Murray’s No. 135. The Scotsman then beat another top 25 player in the first round of the Australian Open, before exiting in the second round. It was the first of three Grand Slams he competed in that year, with Wimbledon and the U.S. Open later in the summer. In arguably the best moment of his year, Murray won his 700th career match in March against Japan’s Taro Daniel. He’s only the 18th male player to achieve this feat since 1968.
The former world No. 1 player has enjoyed some momentum in 2023, winning smaller tournaments in Aix-en-Provence, France, as well as Surbiton and Nottingham in Great Britain. He also reached the final at a competition in Doha, Qatar, but lost to Russian heavyweight Daniil Medvedev. Murray’s win on grass at the British tournaments were a promising sign for his entry at Wimbledon in July, but the two-time tournament champion was bested in a competitive five-set match against No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas that spanned two days. Murray led 6-7 (3), 7-6 (2), 6-4, before the second-round match was suspended for time. But the next day, Murray couldn’t hang on, falling 6-7 (3), 4-6, in the final two sets.
Ranking, More Stats, and Coach
As of July 3, 2023, Murray’s ATP singles rank is No. 40 in the world. He first broke into the top 10 in April 2007 and the top 5 the next September. Over the next several years, he maintained his status as one of the best players in the world, but it wasn’t until November 2016 that he earned his first No. 1 world ranking. It marked the first time a British player topped the rankings. In total, Murray has spent 41 weeks as the No. 1 player.
Other stats, as of July 7, 2023, include:
- Career Matches Won: 725
- Career Matches Lost: 243
- Singles Titles: 46
- Grand Slam Singles Titles: 3
- Doubles Titles: 3
- Grand Slam Doubles Titles: 0
- Olympic Medals: 2 gold (singles) and 1 silver (doubles)
- Career Prize Money: $63,768,403
- Height: 6 ft. 3 in.
Beginning in March 2022, Murray reteamed with coach Ivan Lendl. It’s the third time the pair have worked together in the former world No. 1 player’s career.
Wife and Children
In April 2015, Murray married longtime girlfriend Kim Sears at Dunblane Cathedral in his hometown. The pair met a decade earlier at the U.S. Open when Murray was 18. Sears’ father is professional tennis coach Nigel Sears.
Murray and Sears have four children: Sophia, born February 2016; Edie, born November 2017; Teddy, born in 2019; and a fourth child, born in 2021, whose name hasn’t been publicly announced.
Life Outside Tennis: Hotel and Knighthood
In 2013, Murray and his wife, Kim Sears, purchased a five-star hotel in Dunblane, Scotland, called Cromlix. Sears is heavily involved in the operations. Cromlix is also where the couple held their wedding reception.
Murray’s other business ventures include co-founding the sports marketing agency 77 Sports Management and the AMC athletic clothing brand, a collaboration with British sportswear company Castore.
To cap out 2016, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Murray a knighthood in the annual New Year Honors for his services to tennis and charity. He officially received his medal from then-Prince Charles during a 2019 ceremony.
Murray has supported several charities over the years, including Malaria No More UK, the World Wildlife Fund, and UNICEF UK. In 2022, he donated more $630,000 in prize money to UNICEF’s humanitarian relief in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion that year. His good deeds have also twice earned him pro tennis’ Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award, in 2014 and 2022.
When he’s not following tennis, Murray is a well-known basketball fan. He’s a Miami Heat supporter, having trained and competed in Florida over the years.
Quotes
- We Scots have a fierce pride in the things we do that others can never appreciate. I am the British No. 1, but I would prefer to be the British No. 1 from Scotland every time.
- Contrary to my image, I do have a sense of humor. The Office is one of my favorite comedies, and David Brent is simply the funniest character ever invented. It is so, so funny how much of an idiot that guy is.
Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us!..
The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us
Adrienne directs the daily news operation and content production for Biography.com. She joined the staff in October 2022 and most recently worked as an editor for Popular Mechanics, Runner’s World, and Bicycling. Adrienne has served as editor-in-chief of two regional print magazines, and her work has won several awards, including the Best Explanatory Journalism award from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers. Her current working theory is that people are the point of life, and she’s fascinated by everyone who (and every system that) creates our societal norms. When she’s not behind the news desk, find her hiking, working on her latest cocktail project, or eating mint chocolate chip ice cream.
