June 2012, Andy Murray wasn’t held in the highest regards by the British public, he was just ‘that Scottish git’ who played tennis but alway seemed to choke at the final hurdle. Fast forward seven months and it is a completely different story.
So what caused the public opinion of Murray to change?
Murray’s tears at Wimbledon after his defeat in the final to Roger Federer, his joy at winning gold and silver for his country at London 2012 and his triumph in the US Open, have earned him a place in public hearts.
After losing out to Federer in the Wimbledon final, the British public saw, many for the first time, that Murray really was passionate. The tears that rolled down his face as he took the microphone from Sue Barker and spoke to everyone watching in Centre Court and at home, showed his desperation to win a major tournament. He wanted to win a Grand Slam, he wanted to win Wimbledon, he felt like he had let the British public down.
Before that match my own opinion on Murray had changed. He was with his trainer outside the players gym, throwing tennis balls back and forth at each other, when his trainer missed a catch and the ball ended up hitting me on the head. I saw a different side to him, an emotive Murray, as he signaled his sincere apologies moments before heading through the doors to get ready for the final. I just hope I didn’t put him off his game.
However, Murray returned less than a month after defeat and once again faced Federer on Centre Court. Playing for Team GB in the Olympics, he outclassed Federer making it look easy and claimed gold in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4. The British public erupted, Centre Court had never heard anything like it before. It was the moment the British public had waited an eternity for. Murray was a champion and gave Team GB their first singles gold in tennis for 100 years and this time Murray was reduced to tears for very different reasons. He didn’t stop there either, in fact while Federer had a rest day before the Olympic final, Murray alongside Laura Robson secured a place in the Mixed Doubles final which was played just hours after his singles win. They were unable to overcome Belarus, but still managed to bring home the silver medal, an excellent achievement for a wild card entry.
What came next was just the pinnacle, a fantastic end to Murray’s summer of sport. He became the first British male to win a singles Grand Slam title in 76 years, firmly placing his name alongside the British great, Fred Perry. Having been two sets down, Novak Djokovic made a terrific comeback which saw him take the championship to five sets. Murray showed, in just under five hour, that he really could beat the best, 7-6, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2.
The change in public opinion really became evident in the final of the Australian Open. In search of his second Grand Slam, Murray once again played Djokovic, this time with the British public rallying behind him. Despite taking an exciting first set, Murray’s mentality changed after serving a double fault in the second set tie break. Djokovic’s momentum built over an injured Murray; struggling with a toe blister, and went on to win the championship 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2. Nevertheless, a successful championship; a runners up trophy and Murray’s first win over Federer in a Grand Slam tournament, a feat in itself.
What a journey it has been for Murray, who in 2006 declared, very publicly, that he wanted “anyone but England” to win the World Cup. From many failed attempts at winning a major tournament, temper tantrums, bad language and his arrogant nature this boy from Dunblane has grown up and 2012 certainly saw him become a man. We saw a Murray who respects his fans and thanks them for their continued support. Having Ivan Lendl as his coach seems to have done wonders for both his on and off court presence. I expect there are greater things still to come from Murray and many more Grand Slams for him to pick up along the way.
I am now proud to say I support Murray.
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