Andy Murray recalled the first time he met his wife Kim while giving a tearful Wimbledon farewell on Thursday.
Murray and his brother Jamie were beaten in straight sets by Rinky Hijikata and John Peers in the men’s doubles, leaving the former singles champion with just the mixed doubles this year, his final time at SW19, as he prepares to play alongside Emma Raducanu.
Murray, 37, was also due to play in the men’s singles but withdrew this week due to injury.
After his defeat with Jamie on Thursday (4 July), Murray was interviewed on court while key figures from his career lined up nearby – including friend and rival Novak Djokovic. A tribute video also played on the big screens, as the Scot began a tearful goodbye to the tournament he won twice as a singles competitor.
Towards the end of his interview, Murray looked to the stands where his wife Kim stood, saying: “I’d better say something about my wife, because I’ll get in trouble if I don’t, but this is probably gonna be the hard part.
“We met the first time when we were 18 years old. Kim’s dad is a tennis coach, and we met over in New York for the first time, went out for dinner there at the US Open. And I choked a little bit the first time we went out; I walked her home to her hotel, and I asked her for her email address. I don’t think that’s a normal thing to do.
“The first match [of mine] she came to watch live was at the US Open, and I vomited twice in that match, once right in front of where she was sitting. I then stood up and vomited on my opponent’s racket bag. And she still seemed to like me, so I knew she was a keeper after that.
“She’s been an amazing, amazing support to me, to my whole family, is the best mum,” Murray said, before stopping and holding back tears.
“Unfortunately, in a couple of months, she’s gonna have to see me every day, so things might be rocky for a little while. Hopefully we can stick it out together, and I’m looking forward to the rest of our lives.”
Murray won Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016, beating Djokovic and Milos Raonic in those finals respectively.
The Scot also won Olympic gold on Centre Court in 2012, in a career that saw him become world No 1.