Exercise will always be a part of your life, at least to keep the muscles around your metal hip strong. “I will always maintain a great program of strength and conditioning; going to the gym four to five times a week for 45 minutes to an hour. “
He is not particularly interested in the aspect of broadcasting, and noted that the best stations were often not the best players. “A lot of players don’t follow the tour so closely, they just watch the Grand Slams.”
So where will it be in 15 years? “I’ve always been interested in coaching. There is also the possibility that I am no longer involved in tennis. Right now I feel like I would always have some involvement in tennis, but there are also times when I’ve been away from the sport and haven’t seen any of the tournaments. That’s when I’m home with the kids. It’s pretty full on this side of things. “
We are out of time and there are more sponsorship commitments coming up. There is also a half-eaten sushi box, a championship to train, kids to take care of. It’s a busy schedule, but Murray seems calm about returning what life serves him next.
Andy about playing sports for kids
Encouraging my kids to play sports is something I see as positive. It doesn’t necessarily mean tennis!
Team sports are great for kids to participate in from an early age. It’s something my mom did very well when we grew up in Scotland. Jamie and I were part of a team of young players who used to travel in a minibus; we feel part of a team.
Sport teaches many very good life lessons. There’s all this around participation medals. I’m not a big fan of it. But I think there are lessons to be learned from not winning all the time. In life we don’t win all the time. It is about how you respond to these setbacks. When you’ve lost or things haven’t gone well yet, this is something you can learn. That and being a good team member. Even if you don’t play sports as an adult, this is important for many jobs.
If you see that one of your teammates has done something, you’ll know that blaming him doesn’t help. Talking to and supporting them is very important right now. That’s why I would like my kids to play sports – because I want them to win Wimbledon.
I like to take my kids to play tennis once a week and watch them do that. But it’s a completely different sacrifice when your kids decide that’s what they want to do professionally. Suddenly you’re ready and that can mean a lot of sacrifices. My brother and I never appreciated how our parents were changing their plans to take us to events.
I met a member here at Wimbledon and their kids are now nine and 10 years old and they play tennis. I won’t name her, but she explained to me how weekends are now about taking kids to tennis events, just like their parents did.
And she said, “I hate it. I want to go on vacation or relax on the weekends, but now it always clashes with tennis!”
Andy Murray is working with American Express to help tennis fans have unforgettable memories of the new Amex Fan Experience at the Wimbledon Championships: wimbledon.com/americanexpress