Judy Murray may have become famous thanks to her son Andy Murray’s impressive tennis achievements, but the steely-faced Scottish mum is carving out her own career away from the court.
The 63-year-old has become a household name and even took part in Strictly Come Dancing back in 2014, but she and dance partner Anton Du Beke were sent home after competing in Blackpool.
Judy also appeared in Celebrity Masterchef in 2020 but was booted off in the quarter-finals, after failing to impress judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode.
But the former tennis player has managed to keep her love life under wraps.
Judy was previously married to William Murray, and the couple welcomed their first child, Jamie, in 1986, with Andy following in 1987.
She briefly played tennis professionally in the 1970s and became a coach to both her young sons when they showed a talent for the sport.
However, the Murray family were turned upside down when Judy and William separated in 1996 when Andy was just nine years old.
Their divorce was finalised in 2005, and two years later, Andy spoke about his parent’s divorce, as he admitted they were “just two different people”.
“They didn't speak too much and they didn't get on too well together,” he told The Telegraph.
Nowadays, Judy is keeping quiet about her love life but has ruled out using dating apps to find love.
“I've got friends who've tried internet dating, but I could never go near Tinder. No chance,” she told Saga magazine.
Judy insisted on being “set up” with someone, but worried about trusting any potential dates.
“You never quite know their agenda, so that makes meeting someone difficult for me,” she confessed.
Judy is a role model for any parents trying to coach their budding tennis players, but she openly admitted to making a “big mistake” with her oldest son Jamie.
She regretted sending her son, then aged 12, to train in Cambridge after being “flattered by the attention of people telling me how special he was.”
Knowing he wouldn’t get the opportunity to train in Scotland, where they lived at the time, she sent young Jamie down south, but her plan backfired and he had to return six months later.
“It was too early to take a child out of a comfortable, safe, caring environment, away from friends, family, trusted coaches. It damaged his confidence and his game and caused a lot of anguish,” she sadly shared.
Judy is defensive of her sons in the media, and she hates those who “attack” Andy’s personality because they “don’t know anything about him”.
“I only care about the opinion of people who know us, who care about us, who love us. The rest is just words,” she fired.
Judy said it was “upsetting” to read reports about her life, and slammed the sexist “sporting world full of male journalists, male photographers and male editors”.
And she is sick of being made to look “scary or aggressive” while passionately supporting her sons from the side of the courts.
“I am very sensitive and I do show my emotions. So the media built an image of me as this angry tiger mother,” she fumed.
“I was just a mother watching her sons play tennis.”
