Murray Honored as Queen’s Club Names Center Court After Him
Tennis legend reflects on past glories and present “diabolical” game.
Andy Murray was celebrated at Queen’s Club, where the Centre Court was officially renamed in his honour. Despite the accolades,the tennis star humorously critiqued his current playing abilities.
A Special Ceremony
Before hitting a few balls with tournament director Laura Robson and local schoolchildren,the two-time Wimbledon champion received a guard of honor from ball-girls. The crowd cheered him, but Murray joked about his skills since retiring after last year’s Paris Olympics.
“This is great,”
he remarked. “I obviously miss being out here. This is the first time not being involved in a grass-court season for a while.But I’ve got a new life now and am enjoying being away from the sport a little bit.”
He continued with self-deprecating humor,“My tennis is diabolical nowadays,so apologies for what you’re about to witness,but I’ll give it a go.”
Honoring a champion
Murray, a five-time ATP singles champion at Queen’s, expressed his gratitude to the club for the honor. He noted the significance of the venue in his career.
“This tournament, and this court has had many special moments for me as a player,”
Murray stated. “This tournament was where I won my first match of the ATP Tour and it was my most prosperous event.”
He added, “I always love coming back here at the start of the British summer. I’m very proud of the results I have here and I’m very grateful and thankful for whoever decided to name the stadium after me.”
Did you know? Andy Murray was the first British man to win Wimbledon as 1936, ending a 77-year drought. His victory in 2013 was a historic moment for British tennis.
Golfing Pursuits
Currently,Murray dedicates much of his time to golf,maintaining a low single-figure handicap. However, he humorously admitted to faltering during his club championships.
“I was playing the club championships yesterday at my local club,”
he shared. “I was tied second, going into the final day, but unluckily I didn’t get it done. But I’ll come back and try again.”
Women’s Tournament Returns
Murray spoke just before the first women’s tournament at Queen’s Club since 1973. He expressed his enthusiasm for the event.
“I think it’s brilliant,”
he said. “I just met the last winner here, Olga Morozova, who actually coached me when I was 12, 13 years old. She was the last winner here 52 years ago, which is incredible.”
He concluded,“This court has had many great matches on it and I think it’s a great chance for the women to showcase themselves out here.”
Pro Tip: Grass court tennis requires quick reflexes and excellent footwork. Players frequently enough need to adjust their game to handle the faster ball speed and unpredictable bounces.
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is investing £30 million annually to support grassroots tennis, aiming to increase participation and improve facilities across the UK (LTA Official Website).
