Andy Murray gave an emotional speech on Centre Court after losing in the men’s doubles at Wimbledon alongside older brother Jamie, having pulled out of the singles
Andy Murray admitted he knew wife Kim was “a keeper” after she witnessed him vomit twice the first time she watched him play at the US Open.
Murray, who won the men’s singles at Flushing Meadows in 2012, first started dating Kim back when they were teenagers. They married in 2015, and have four children together.
The three-time grand slam window gave an emotional speech at Wimbledon after what – barring a huge turnaround – is expected to have been his final year playing on Centre Court as a player. He pulled out of the men’s singles championship after recent surgery, but was able to join brother Jamie in the men’s doubles.
Kim was in the stands watching her husband in action, as the siblings were beaten by the Australian duo of Rinky Hijikata and John Peers. A number of figures from the tennis world paid tribute after the defeat, while Murray used the opportunity to reminisce live on the BBC.
“I better say something about my wife because otherwise I’ll get in trouble if I don’t, but this is probably going to be the hard part,” he began. “We met the first time when we were 18 years old. Kim’s dad is a tennis coach and we met over in New York and went out for dinner there at the US Open.
“I choked a little bit the first time we went out. We walked her home to her hotel and I asked her for her email address. I don’t think that’s a normal thing to do.
“She came along to actually watch me for the first time at the US Open. I actually vomited twice in that match. Once right in front of where she was sitting. I then stood up and vomited on my opponent’s racquet bag and she still seemed to like me so I knew she was a keeper after that. She’s been an amazing, amazing support to me and to my whole family and is the best mum.”
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Earlier, Murray indicated the Olympic Games in Paris is likely to be his farewell tournament. There remain questions of what might come post-retirement, though, and – when asked by Sue Barker – he dropped a coaching hint.
“I’m not never going to come back here!” he began. “It depends who I’m watching. I hate watching my brother. I find it really difficult to watch my brother play. I love tennis. I watch it all the time. I would probably be more comfortable sitting up there in a coaching box rather than somewhere else.”
A return to the commentary booth appears less likely, though, given his last experience. “[It was] an unbelievable match, Nadal-Del Potro, it was like four and a half hours, amazing tennis, but a long time,” he said. “A commentary box is tiny, and it was a long time to be in there and I didn’t enjoy it that much!”
