100 of the Most Influential Women in Sport >> Personalities

Judy Murray, Scotland

Tennis

Murray’s unquenched passion for grassroots tennis has seen her become a figure of significant influence in the British game’s recent history. She was the unflinching matriarch and architect of iconic son Andy’s rise to a three-time Grand Slam winner, urging him to attend Spain’s Sanchez-Casal academy aged 15 and ignore the cloying confines of the – then broken – Lawn Tennis Association system. In those early days, she also even acted as unofficial agent for Andy and brother Jamie, who would also develop into a doubles specialist. Judy became a loud and visible presence in the players’ box, cheering on both to incredible successes. But the 59-year-old’s achievements do not begin and end with her progeny. The highlight of more than 20 years coaching came when she was elected captain of the British Fed Cup team from December 2011-March 2016, taking the job, in part, to “help develop a female coaching workforce”. Her thirst for coaching made her recently found ‘She Rallies’, an initiative to “create more opportunities for women and girls in tennis”.

– Her outstanding contribution to British sport has witnessed her gain honorary degrees from the likes of the University of Edinburgh, University of Aberdeen and University of Glasgow.

– Including doubles and singles, Murray’s sons have won a combined five Grand Slam crowns.

– Murray was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2017.

Did you know…

Murray was no slouch on the tennis courts herself, winning 64 Scottish titles during her long junior and senior career.

“Not for the first time, I realised that where I saw an opportunity for something, other people saw hurdles and complications. I knew it probably wasn’t going to happen unless I got up and did something about it.” – Judy Murray (Source: ‘Knowing The Score: My Family and Our Tennis Story‘)

Twitter: @JudyMurray