Judy Murray was born on September 8, 1959, in Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, Scotland, to Alison Shirley and Roy Erskine. She began to take an interest in tennis from a very young age and possessed much natural talent. This was despite only playing tennis in the summer due to there being no indoor tennis courts in Scotland.
After winning 64 titles during her junior and senior career in Scotland, she decided to try and make it on the professional Tour in 1976. However, she soon gave up on that ambition due to being homesick and also after she was robbed in Barcelona.
Murray then elected to go to the University of Edinburgh, where she studied French and Business Studies. The Scotswoman continued to play tennis during that time, including representing Great Britain at the World Student Games. She graduated in 1981. After this, Murray went into coaching.
This included being the initial coach for her sons Andy Murray and Jamie Murray, who both went on to have successful singles and doubles careers in the sport. She eventually handed over the reins as her sons’ professional careers blossomed.
Murray has since coached several players at regional and national levels under the auspices of the Lawn Tennis Association. In December 2011, she was elected to captain the British Fed Cup Team. Murray held the role until March 2016, when she decided to resign.
Since then, the Scotswoman has continued to do positive work. For instance, she is a trustee of the Judy Murray Foundation, a registered charity whose goal is to improve access to tennis opportunities across Scotland.
Murray’s work received major recognition in 2017. In the 2017 Birthday Honours, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to tennis, women in sport, and charity.
