- Judy Murray said she’s received abuse over her courtside demeanour
- Criticised for pumping her fists and baring her teeth when Andy plays
- Believes her passion wouldn’t be deemed unacceptable if she was a man
- Tennis coach, 55, wants to stand up for women’s rights
- She wants to see more girls play tennis and in roles of responsibility
As Andy Murray’s bid to win Wimbledon again starts this week, his mother has spoken out about the way she has been lambasted in the past for being so vocal in support of her son.
Scottish Judy, 55, has revealed that she received hate mail and was deemed a pushy parent for pumping her fists and ‘baring her teeth’ whenever Andy won a point in a championship match.
She was even blamed for the 28-year-old’s failure to win a grand slam before 2012.
Judy Murray, pictured with Andy after he won Wimbledon in 2013, said she has been criticised for being so vocal in support of her son and believes she would have been treated differently if she was man
Judy, pictured at Wimbledon in 2010, said people thought she was too pushy because of the way she pumps her fists and bares her teeth when Andy wins a point during a grand slam
‘I got a huge amount of abuse from people for being pushy, for supposedly having Andy tied to my apron strings,’ she said in an interview with Matthew Syed for The Times.
‘People used to say “the reason he hasn’t won a grand slam is because he is scared to lose in front of his mum”.
‘The very idea of a woman wanting the best for her kids, cheering for them when they won a point, was thought of as a bit unnatural. It would have been completely different if I was a man.’
Judy, who is also mother to Wimbledon doubles champion Jamie, said it was only after Andy won the US open in 2012 that she was finally seen as a help rather than a hindrance.
The public have also warmed to her after getting to see more of her personality thanks to her Twitter presence and appearance on last year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
The mother-of-two said attitudes towards her started to change after Andy won the US Open in 2012, she’s pictured with him holding the trophy in New York at the time
The tennis coach, pictured at the AEGON Eastbourne International last week, she is passionate about getting more girls into sport
As well as being passionate about her two sons playing well, tennis coach Judy is also determined to get more women into sport.
She wants more girls to embrace exercise and the associated benefits rather than worrying about how they look.
‘When I was at school, sport was a brilliant and empowering thing. Today, too many young girls are more concerned about getting their face on,’ she said.
Judy wants girls to realise that being athletic is attractive – no matter how sweaty you get – citing tennis champions Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova as prime examples.
She explains: ‘They are wonderful athletes but they also love dressing up. They do all the girlie things. They should dispel the thought that it is unfeminine to be ambitious.’
Women’s rights: Judy Murray tweets a photo of herself in ‘beefcake’ sandwich between former Scottish international rugby union player Thom Evans and wildlife presenter Steve Backshall
An appearance on Strictly Come Dancing last year, where she was paired with Anton Du Beke, helped the public see Judy’s fun side
Andy, pictured practising with pregnant Amelie Mauresmo over the weekend, has admitted he has become a feminist after hiring her as his coach and has been shocked by the sexism she has been exposed to
Andy has also been an advocate of women in sport after he hired Amelie Mauresmo to be his coach last year.
He said he was shocked by the sexism Amelie encountered and, as a result, he now considers himself a ‘feminist’, ‘if being a feminist is about fighting so that a woman is treated like a man’.
Judy agrees that tennis has often been a ‘man’s world’ and she believes this has to change.
She said: ‘It is so important to have women in positions of responsibility… that is true not just in tennis but in life. Young girls need to have strong role models and a more powerful sense of their self-worth.’
Under pregnant Amelie’s guidance, Andy is back to his best ever form and goes into Wimbledon with the Queen’s title and a semi final place at the French Open under his belt.
Judy admits he has ‘a great chance’ of winning again and whether people like it or not, she’ll be fist pumping and cheering him all the way.
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Judy Murray reveals she got hate mail over support for Andy
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