Photos - Jamie Murray, Andy with Dani Vallverdu - U18 Tournament, Salso Maggiore 2002 + Andy training during Oz Open in Melbourne with Ivan Lendl
How did Andy Murray achieve so much and what has been his impact on the game?
I suppose we can always wonder how a wee boy from Dunblane rose to become a giant on the world sporting stage, but perhaps the better question to ask ourselves is - why not? Why not Andy? Why not Serena and Venus, who came from the wrong side of the tracks in LA. It's not about where you come from, but it is about who you are? Do you have the desire and determination to achieve your goals? It's also about the people around you, and in Andy's case he was supported every step of the way by mum Judy, and had an older brother to constantly challenge him in many sports including tennis (Jamie, of course). The Williams sisters, of course had dad Richard.
Until Andy came on the scene, in my tennis lifetime, the only Scottish player who even got close to being famous was Ross Matheson.
When Ross made it into the mid 200's and beat Jacob Hlasek at Queen's (a top 10 player), I remember the feeling of excitement that someone I actually knew was getting close to greatness in the sport I loved. (Top 200 is amazing in my book!) But then Andy was the next level, inspiring a whole new generation of Scottish players, like Jamie Baker and Colin Fleming, to fulfill their potential.
So many of the young British players give credit to Andy for his generosity and support in helping them aspire to the highest levels in tennis. The impact he has had cannot be overestimated.
What Makes Andy Who He Is?
Perseverance
In my opinion his greatest quality is perseverance -
- when as a junior he asked to be sent to Spain to the Sanchez Academy
- when he had a terrible knee problem as a young teenager and couldn't play for several months
- when he lost so many grand slam finals
- when he trained so hard to build a stronger body more resistant to injuries
- when he worked so hard to come back with a metal hip
Perhaps his greatest demonstration of perseverance has been in actual tennis matches as he showed in the last 3 doubles recently at the Olympics. The one stat I would quote of the many I could for Andy is that he holds the record for the most number of 5 set matches won from 2 sets down, which is 11. The determination to keep fighting and never give in separates him from almost every other player in my view. We have witnessed it in so many of his matches and the fact that he was willing to put himself through so much pain after getting his new metal hip!
His ability to endure mental and physical pain both on and off court is quite inspirational and I've lost count of the number of matches I would watch where I might think he was definitely going to lose and he would turn it around. In more recent years I stopped writing him off and kept believing that he could it no matter the score. This has helped me as a coach to bore my pupils with my favourite saying of "just win the last point". Andy has taught us all that it's never over if you have enough desire and perseverance.
Judy
I had the good fortune to work with Judy many years ago and even though Andy was convinced that he would be a top player I'm not convinced that anyone close to him actually believed that he would. Certainly in my case that was probably my own lack of self belief as an aspiring (low level) Scottish tennis player. I seem to remember even Judy not truly believing until she witnessed him take a 2 set lead at Wimbledon against Nalbandian. Many parents these days think that their kid is going to make it after winning an under 12 event.
Both Andy and Jamie have had the very good fortune to have Judy as their mother, who has been their ever present and wise guide throughout all of their tennis years. Whilst I would never underestimate the importance of both brother's drive and determination, Judy's impact has been fundamental to their success in my view.
Humour
Andy's dry Scottish humour has got him into bother over the years with the media but I love him for it and right to the end he was in top form when he posted on X after his final match!
@andy_murray - Never even liked tennis anyway.
This is a classic Andy comment and possibly only something that other people with that dry sense of humour would appreciate or even understand.
His Character
There have been moments in his career when I have been exasperated with him, in particular his negativity towards his box, but in the main he has always been true to himself and has never changed. His kindness and generosity to all those close to him has never wavered and he can hold his head up high with the support he has given to women's tennis.
His Future
I would hope that the public and general media will leave him alone to get on with his life post competitive tennis, and let him enjoy time with his young family. Obviously he is in a position to do whatever he likes and I would say that he has earned that right with his great contribution to the game of tennis, not just as a great competitor, but also as a very decent and genuine human. If he decides to give back to the tennis world of his birth by being around and helping young folk develop a strong work ethic and belief systems then I would be delighted, but if he decides to live a quiet life away from the general public then good luck to him.
I would just say thanks for the pleasure, pride, excitement and joy that you have brought to my life over the past 20 years. A Scotsman winning Wimbledon, now who would have thought.....
What are your thoughts on Andy's amazing career to date? Ian
[email protected]
Errani & Paolini Win Olympic Gold! What Can We Learn From Their Doubles Strategy?
Italy's Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini have added to their incredibly successful year by adding the Olympic gold medal in Paris.
Just what is it that makes their doubles combo so successful?
They combine different skill sets to make quite a formidable pair. Both players are very consistent from the back of the court and when required they are also extremely competent at the net and able to play a variety of clever volleys. One shot that keeps them in almost every rally is Errani's ability to hit great defensive groundstrokes over the head of the net player from almost any position at the back of the court. This is a regular pattern of play usually finished by a Paolini volley interception.
Sara Errani is an absolute wall, with great tenacity and a fighting spirit which has been the driving force of her career. She truly understands the importance of winning the last point and never giving up. Paolini has made a huge breakthrough in singles but she puts some of that success down to her doubles wins which has given her more confidence. At Rome this year I remember watching them practice and just having so much fun. When the ball was in play it was serious, but at down times they were having a laugh most of the time. This aspect alone is something that all club players should try to emulate in practice and even on the match court. Being extremely competitive but having fun at the same time is a balance that can help you play better in what is a game of subtle hand skills, which can only be achieved if we are loose enough.
From a club player's perspective the key points we can learn from the Errani & Paolini doubles combination is as follows:
Have fun on the practice court and the match court too! This will help you to stay relaxed.
Try to be consistent with your baseline game and develop solid loopy shots to eliminate the net player. This can nullify the power opponents.
Never give up no matter how badly it may be going and remember you only have to win the last point! (Murray and Evans at the Olympics)
4. Always practice and try to improve various types of volley put-aways in every session.
This type of doubles is more relevant to the majority of club players than the crash, bang, wallop of eye formation men's top level doubles. Have you seen how slow Errani's serve is? This is not a criticism but shows you that there are other ways to win doubles matches even without a fast serve.
And if you forget everything when on the court in the heat of the battle just remember to smile as it's only a tennis match.
All comments below or [email protected]
https://www.tuscantennis.com
Photos - Jasmine Paolini at Roland Garros, Paris 2024 & Andy Murray/Dan Evans Olympics Paris 2024
I suppose we can always wonder how a wee boy from Dunblane rose to become a giant on the world sporting stage, but perhaps the better question to ask ourselves is - why not? Why not Andy? Why not Serena and Venus, who came from the wrong side of the tracks in LA. It's not about where you come from, but it is about who you are? Do you have the desire and determination to achieve your goals? It's also about the people around you, and in Andy's case he was supported every step of the way by mum Judy, and had an older brother to constantly challenge him in many sports including tennis (Jamie, of course). The Williams sisters, of course had dad Richard.
Until Andy came on the scene, in my tennis lifetime, the only Scottish player who even got close to being famous was Ross Matheson.
When Ross made it into the mid 200's and beat Jacob Hlasek at Queen's (a top 10 player), I remember the feeling of excitement that someone I actually knew was getting close to greatness in the sport I loved. (Top 200 is amazing in my book!) But then Andy was the next level, inspiring a whole new generation of Scottish players, like Jamie Baker and Colin Fleming, to fulfill their potential.
So many of the young British players give credit to Andy for his generosity and support in helping them aspire to the highest levels in tennis. The impact he has had cannot be overestimated.
What Makes Andy Who He Is?
Perseverance
In my opinion his greatest quality is perseverance -
- when as a junior he asked to be sent to Spain to the Sanchez Academy
- when he had a terrible knee problem as a young teenager and couldn't play for several months
- when he lost so many grand slam finals
- when he trained so hard to build a stronger body more resistant to injuries
- when he worked so hard to come back with a metal hip
Perhaps his greatest demonstration of perseverance has been in actual tennis matches as he showed in the last 3 doubles recently at the Olympics. The one stat I would quote of the many I could for Andy is that he holds the record for the most number of 5 set matches won from 2 sets down, which is 11. The determination to keep fighting and never give in separates him from almost every other player in my view. We have witnessed it in so many of his matches and the fact that he was willing to put himself through so much pain after getting his new metal hip!
His ability to endure mental and physical pain both on and off court is quite inspirational and I've lost count of the number of matches I would watch where I might think he was definitely going to lose and he would turn it around. In more recent years I stopped writing him off and kept believing that he could it no matter the score. This has helped me as a coach to bore my pupils with my favourite saying of "just win the last point". Andy has taught us all that it's never over if you have enough desire and perseverance.
Judy
I had the good fortune to work with Judy many years ago and even though Andy was convinced that he would be a top player I'm not convinced that anyone close to him actually believed that he would. Certainly in my case that was probably my own lack of self belief as an aspiring (low level) Scottish tennis player. I seem to remember even Judy not truly believing until she witnessed him take a 2 set lead at Wimbledon against Nalbandian. Many parents these days think that their kid is going to make it after winning an under 12 event.
Both Andy and Jamie have had the very good fortune to have Judy as their mother, who has been their ever present and wise guide throughout all of their tennis years. Whilst I would never underestimate the importance of both brother's drive and determination, Judy's impact has been fundamental to their success in my view.
Humour
Andy's dry Scottish humour has got him into bother over the years with the media but I love him for it and right to the end he was in top form when he posted on X after his final match!
@andy_murray - Never even liked tennis anyway.
This is a classic Andy comment and possibly only something that other people with that dry sense of humour would appreciate or even understand.
His Character
There have been moments in his career when I have been exasperated with him, in particular his negativity towards his box, but in the main he has always been true to himself and has never changed. His kindness and generosity to all those close to him has never wavered and he can hold his head up high with the support he has given to women's tennis.
His Future
I would hope that the public and general media will leave him alone to get on with his life post competitive tennis, and let him enjoy time with his young family. Obviously he is in a position to do whatever he likes and I would say that he has earned that right with his great contribution to the game of tennis, not just as a great competitor, but also as a very decent and genuine human. If he decides to give back to the tennis world of his birth by being around and helping young folk develop a strong work ethic and belief systems then I would be delighted, but if he decides to live a quiet life away from the general public then good luck to him.
I would just say thanks for the pleasure, pride, excitement and joy that you have brought to my life over the past 20 years. A Scotsman winning Wimbledon, now who would have thought.....
What are your thoughts on Andy's amazing career to date? Ian
[email protected]
Errani & Paolini Win Olympic Gold! What Can We Learn From Their Doubles Strategy?
Italy's Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini have added to their incredibly successful year by adding the Olympic gold medal in Paris.
Just what is it that makes their doubles combo so successful?
They combine different skill sets to make quite a formidable pair. Both players are very consistent from the back of the court and when required they are also extremely competent at the net and able to play a variety of clever volleys. One shot that keeps them in almost every rally is Errani's ability to hit great defensive groundstrokes over the head of the net player from almost any position at the back of the court. This is a regular pattern of play usually finished by a Paolini volley interception.
Sara Errani is an absolute wall, with great tenacity and a fighting spirit which has been the driving force of her career. She truly understands the importance of winning the last point and never giving up. Paolini has made a huge breakthrough in singles but she puts some of that success down to her doubles wins which has given her more confidence. At Rome this year I remember watching them practice and just having so much fun. When the ball was in play it was serious, but at down times they were having a laugh most of the time. This aspect alone is something that all club players should try to emulate in practice and even on the match court. Being extremely competitive but having fun at the same time is a balance that can help you play better in what is a game of subtle hand skills, which can only be achieved if we are loose enough.
From a club player's perspective the key points we can learn from the Errani & Paolini doubles combination is as follows:
Have fun on the practice court and the match court too! This will help you to stay relaxed.
Try to be consistent with your baseline game and develop solid loopy shots to eliminate the net player. This can nullify the power opponents.
Never give up no matter how badly it may be going and remember you only have to win the last point! (Murray and Evans at the Olympics)
4. Always practice and try to improve various types of volley put-aways in every session.
This type of doubles is more relevant to the majority of club players than the crash, bang, wallop of eye formation men's top level doubles. Have you seen how slow Errani's serve is? This is not a criticism but shows you that there are other ways to win doubles matches even without a fast serve.
And if you forget everything when on the court in the heat of the battle just remember to smile as it's only a tennis match.
All comments below or [email protected]
https://www.tuscantennis.com
Photos - Jasmine Paolini at Roland Garros, Paris 2024 & Andy Murray/Dan Evans Olympics Paris 2024
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