Andy Murray could step onto the tennis court for the last time on Tuesday afternoon when he re-enters the second round of the men’s doubles at the Paris Olympics with Dan Evans.
The 37-year-old has confirmed he will retire from the sport after the Games. Having already retired from singles, he wants to delay putting his racket aside for as long as possible, along with British number 3 Evans.
Murray’s illustrious career looked set to end in the first round of Olympic competition, before he and Evans staged a remarkable comeback from five match points down to defeat Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel. The pair will now face Belgian duo Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen for a place in the next round.
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The tennis star’s on-court exploits speak for themselves, with 46 titles won, including two Wimbledon and one US Open championship, and two Olympic gold medals. But as he cements his place in history as one of the greatest male tennis players of all time, there has also been a lot of interest in his personal life over the years.
Here’s everything you need to know about Murray’s life off the court, from his staggering fortune and relationship with his wife and children to the public feud he had with his brother Jamie.
Astonishing power
Murray is one of the most successful players of his generation and has amassed a huge fortune, winning over £50 million in prize money during his illustrious career.
Off the pitch he has also generated significant revenue through sponsorship deals and endorsements with big names such as Jaguar, Castore, Under Armour and Head. Over the years he has worked with other big brands such as Amazon Prime Video, Standard Life and American Express.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, these ventures have contributed to an estimated net worth of around £85 million, although some sources suggest it could be closer to £100 million.
Murray has invested a significant portion of his fortune in property and lives in a vast mansion in Oxshott, Surrey, which cost him more than £5 million in 2009.
He has also made significant profits from selling other properties, including an apartment in Miami. In 2014, he bought the five-star country house hotel Cromlix House, located near his home town, for £1.8 million.
Woman, children and foul-mouthed outburst
In 2015, Murray married Kim Sears, the daughter of tennis coach Nigel Sears. The couple had met at a party during the 2005 US Open and went public with their relationship a year later, with the tennis star famously running through the crowd to give her a kiss after winning his first tournament in California.
They are now parents to four children: Sophia, eight, Edie, six, Teddy, four, and Lola, three. Murray humorously noted in a 2021 interview that his greatest achievement in life was getting all four of them to bed on time.
Kim is often seen supporting her husband from the stands and has become known for her fiery spirit when watching him in action on court. Most notably, during Murray’s Wimbledon semi-final win over Tomas Berdych in 2015, she was caught saying: “F****** have that you flash Czech f***”.
After receiving a knighthood in the Queen’s New Year Honours in 2016 for services to tennis and charity, Murray later joked that his wife Kim would have to worry about her swearing-in if she became a Lady. “She’ll [do] “I don’t swear during my matches anymore, for anyone who saw that a few years ago,” he laughed.
The life of a professional athlete can test the limits of a relationship, but Murray has admitted he has sometimes been guilty of “selfish” behavior towards his family, particularly when he was forced to take a long break from tennis. His injury has tested their marriage, but the tennis star has praised his wife for her “brilliant” handling of the situation.
“I was pretty down, that’s for sure,” he said. “It was a really tough time for me because it wasn’t so much the injury itself. Being injured can be frustrating, but the problem I had was that I was sleeping and walking every day. It wasn’t just that I hit a serve and my arm hurt. It was waking me up at night. It was bad.”
“I don’t know if the kids noticed because when I’m with them I always try to put on a brave face, but my wife definitely did. It put a strain on our relationship, just because I was down all the time,” he added. “She’s brilliant and I would probably be quite selfish just in terms of thinking about myself and how I feel and not realising the impact that has on everyone around me.”
Feud with brother
Despite Murray having a very good relationship with his older brother Jamie, their competitive nature makes for some intense moments between them.
One such moment came in 2008, when Andy decided to withdraw from Britain’s Davis Cup tie against Argentina to avoid aggravating a knee injury. He was due to play alongside Jamie, but Jamie was instead paired with Ross Hutchins when the pair suffered a defeat.
Jamie was furious about his younger brother’s withdrawal, as he said: “It affects how we think about him a bit. I think it’s disappointing that he chose not to come. From what I’ve read, he hasn’t said he’s injured, it’s more of a prevention thing. I think if he really wanted to push himself, he could have come here for the game.
“It was a shock for me and for the team. I didn’t know he had a problem. From his point of view, I think he has nothing to apologize for, as he made the decision not to come.
“If he had come here he would have caused them problems because he has the ability to win singles, he is a world-class player. He has been in the top 10 and that was not by chance. I think he would have wanted to come here and have the crowd against him, he plays better in those conditions.”
Andy was quick to hit back at his brother’s comments, saying: “It was a bit disappointing. But he obviously felt very strongly about it and he’s entitled to his opinion. If he knew what it was like to play three five-set matches in a row on clay, he might understand my position a little bit better.
“I haven’t spoken to him yet. I’ll see him soon. I think we should talk about it and just discuss our feelings about Davis Cup and the position I’m in, but it’s probably not the nicest conversation to have with your brother.”
The brothers did not speak for two weeks, but eventually reconciled.