Andy Murray: 10 hilarious moments | ATP Tour

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10 Reasons to Love Andy Murray

As Andy Murray heads into his final tournament at the Paris Olympics, ATPTour.com looks at why the Scot has captured the hearts of fans around the world.

July 26, 2024

A figure known for his dry humour off the court and his fierce fighting spirit on it, Andy Murray has for years been one of the most popular figures on the ATP Tour. The Brit has often used social media to give fans glimpses into his personal life, with humour at the heart of his posts.

With ATPTour.com celebrating the former PIF ATP Rankings No. 1’s run through his final tournament at the Paris Olympics, we look back at 10 of our favourite Murray moments from over the years.

1. Mauresmo on his bench underlines support for women’s tennis
Throughout his career, Murray has been a pillar of support for women in the sport. After hiring former WTA No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo as a coach in 2014, criticism of the relationship gave him a deeper understanding of the challenges women face in tennis and the sporting landscape.

The groundbreaking signing made Murray the first male player of his stature to work alongside a female coach. While it was a natural move for Andy – given that his mother, Judy, was his first coach – many voices were quick to criticise the Frenchwoman for every little thing.

“I have since been asked about women’s equality and I would struggle to look any top female player in the eye if I didn’t express my opinion,” Murray said in an essay for the BBC in 2017.

Photograph by Jan Kruger/Getty Images

The Briton made a habit of correcting journalists who shunned women’s achievements in tennis, including a passage at Wimbledon 2017 where he reminded a reporter that Sam Querrey was the first “male player” from the United States to reach a Grand Slam semifinal since 2009.

Murray has recently used his X account, formerly known as Twitter, to highlight the talent of women on the WTA Tour – with praise for Mirra Andrea and Naomi Osaka among other recent examples.

“Have I become a feminist?” Murray wrote in a column in L’Équipe in 2015. “Well, if being a feminist is fighting for a woman to be treated like a man, then yes, I guess I have.”

2. “Marriage works!”
Wearing a traditional Scottish kilt, Murray married Kim Sears in his hometown of Dunblane in April 2015. Tim Henman was among the few well-known faces at the low-key wedding.

Shortly after the celebration, Murray linked titles in Munich and Madrid. After beating Rafael Nadal to win the Madrid title in May, he wrote “marriage works!” on the camera lens, remaining undefeated as a married man. “It’s been nice and a lot of people have talked about the honeymoon,” Murray said at the time. “But we’ve been together a long time and getting married was the next step.”

I have always said that if your personal situation is happy and under control, it helps your performance on the track.”

Photograph by Alex B. Huckle/Getty Images

3. A star at the BBC Sports Personality Awards
Murray is the first and only sportsperson to have won three BBC Sports Personality Awards, receiving the accolade in 2013, 2015 and 2016. On each occasion, his speech included touches of humour with some jokes directed at his favourite target: himself.

“No matter how excited I try to sound, my voice always seems so boring,” Murray said after winning his first award. “I’m really happy and excited right now, it’s just my voice. I’m sorry.”

In 2015, the only time he gave the speech at the ceremony venue, Murray recalled a newspaper article describing him as “more boring than a weekend in Worthing”.

“I think that was a bit harsh… for Worthing,” Murray joked.

Keeping up the tradition of laughing at himself, Murray highlighted in his 2016 speech that his wife had voted for British jockey Nick Skelton instead of him. Good luck next time, Kim!

4. Mixed doubles at Wimbledon with Serena Williams
Returning to competition after hip surgery, she joined forces with Serena Williams to form perhaps the most iconic mixed doubles pairing in Grand Slam history. The duo racked up two wins in must-win matches at the All England Club in 2019.

One of the most memorable points of their participation came in the first round, when Williams was left standing at the net after reaching for a ball that hit the tape. The American fell while trying to defend herself, leaving Murray in no man’s land. Although they lost what was a set point against Alexa Guarachi and Andreas Mies, Murray and Serena smiled on their way to winning 6-4, 6-1.

Throughout their adventure, which ended in a three-set defeat to top favourites Bruno Soares and Nicole Melichar, fans sparked a heated debate over the couple’s nickname. The leading candidates were ‘SerAndy’ and ‘MurRena’.

“I think Serena is the boss, whatever she says,” Murray joked when asked about his preference.

Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images

5. Murray hits Lendl during a charity match at Queen’s 2013.
Before he started coaching Murray in 2012, Ivan Lendl was known for his intimidating presence on court. As a player, he never shied away from confrontations with his rivals.

During a charity match at Queen’s Club in 2013, Murray was the only one to take aim at his coach. The five-time Queen’s champion hit a volley home.

After some celebratory hugs, Murray apologized with questionable sincerity to his coach.

“If I’m playing at a level that I can hit Ivan Lendl with a forehand, I’m in good shape for Wimbledon,” Murray wrote in a column for the BBC shortly afterwards.

“Hitting my coach at the net after trying for a year and a half has paid off on the perfect day. I hit him squarely, it was the best shot of the whole week, and I know Ivan will try to get revenge when we train together this week. Believe me, he won’t mind injuring me the week before Wimbledon.”

“As he always says, ‘It’s a tennis ball, not a hockey puck.’”

6. Wedding Ring: Lost and Found in Indian Wells
Murray ties his wedding ring into his shoelaces when he plays, a tender gesture that almost turned into drama for the Briton in 2021. After a hot training session in Indian Wells, Murray left his soaked sneakers outside his car overnight to dry. When he returned the next morning, they were gone.

It was only when his physiotherapist asked him about his ring that Andy realised the double disappointment. Murray bought a new pair of trainers from a local shop, but had to work a little harder to find the ring.

She took to Instagram to tell her story and seek help. Fortunately, the adventure had a happy ending.

After making a few calls to hotel security, she shared a new video on Instagram the next day with the good news. “A little update for everyone. You won’t believe it. They still stink, but the sneakers are back, the ring is back, and I’m feeling happy. Let’s go!”

7. Comedian on social media
Murray is known for his social media pranks, and we’ve rounded up some of the most memorable ones.

We couldn’t help but start with her famous post with an X-shaped Christmas sweater, where she appears wearing a garment that many might call “a horrible sweater.”

As you can see I’m chuffed to bits with my Christmas jumper #FireInTheBelly pic.twitter.com/qImylslFWG

— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) December 26, 2014

Continuing with the family atmosphere, there are many episodes that he has starred in with his brother Jamie and his mother Judy. For example, when Jamie was offended by his mother’s comment on a photograph of Andy and the well-known football coach José Mourinho. Of course, the younger brother was quick to set things straight.

Adept at poking fun at his fellow countrymen for whatever reason – such as Jack Draper for his forays into fashion – Murray also directs plenty of jokes at himself. On Instagram, he shared this video of a failed rally against a wall and another of him laughing at his own cries.

He recently risked being hated by the Swifties by congratulating Taylor Swift on a “spectacular performance” while watching her partner Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl 58.

8. Victims of pranks
Being one of the most popular players on the ATP Tour, Murray has plenty of friends who want to play pranks on him.

In 2023, at the ATP 500 in Washington, DC, Frances Tiafoe heard a reflexive response from Murray breathing a hand’s length from the Briton’s neck. After 30 seconds of waiting for Murray to notice, Tiafoe gave himself away by intervening.

“How long has it been there?” Murray said with a laugh.

Watch out Andy: Big Foe’s behind you 😂@andy_murray @FTiafoe #MubadalaCitiOpen pic.twitter.com/J1ZqzIVPgV

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) July 30, 2023

Rafael Nadal had a slightly more elaborate prank before this. When Murray went out to dinner with his wife, the Spaniard sent her a series of flirtatious messages from another number, enjoying the awkward moment from a distance.

“I was the joke,” Murray said, explaining that Nadal tapped him on the shoulder shortly afterward in surrender. “I was uncomfortable for a few minutes.”

Murray’s two children are also among those who have attacked him. At Indian Wells 2022, he revealed that his eldest daughter was beginning to learn about his fame and was using it against him.

“He sometimes calls me ‘Andy Murray’, which I find incredibly weird,” he said, laughing. “I say, ‘No, I’m dad, I’m not Andy Murray. I’m dad.’”

“Now he does it to annoy me. He does it especially when he is with his friends.”

9. An incognito ice cream in Cincinnati
Often the victim of pranks, Murray also played the role of prankster on occasion, such as when he dressed incognito to give away ice cream in Cincinnati in 2015.

Staying true to his character, Murray recommended the lime and black raspberry flavours while dismissing comments about his resemblance to the British No. 1.

When two fans discovered him under his disguise, they regretted not being able to be at the venue to see Murray play live.

“That’s probably not a negative thing,” Murray replied, true to his usual humor.

10. Bonus: Fraser McKnight
Murray played a starring role in ‘The Tour: A Reality Show,’ a behind-the-scenes look at the production of the ‘fake’ 2024 tennis season. The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings revealed his true identity: that of actor Fraser McKnight.

“I think people don’t realise that it’s all staged,” Murray said on camera. “The players, the games, everything is staged. Nothing is real.”

“Let’s face it, people are stupid. They’ll buy anything.”