Andy Murray: Katie Boulter praises 'idol' three-time Grand Slam winner as the 'epitome of tennis'
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Published 21/11/2023 at 12:01 GMT
Andy Murray announced that he would be withdrawing from Britain's Davis Cup clash against Serbia at the weekend after suffering a shoulder injury. Despite that, he has been praised for his resilience by British No. 1 Katie Boulter, who claimed the three-time Grand Slam winner's glittering career has been an inspiration for her. The 27-year-old also added that Murray was the 'epitome of tennis'.
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Katie Boulter has lauded her 'idol' Andy Murray for the resilience he has shown throughout his career, claiming he is the 'epitome of tennis.'
It comes after the 36-year-old announced he would be withdrawing from team GB's Davis Cup showdown against Novak Djokovic's Serbia on Saturday after picking up a minor shoulder injury during training.
Since turning pro in 2005, the three-time Grand Slam winner has enjoyed a glittering career, winning his first title on the ATP Tour in 2006 before going on to collect a whopping 46 titles on the circuit.
The former world No. 1 had to wait for his first major final, but went on to claim victory at the 2012 US Open after falling short at four previous Slam finals, while also notably reaching six semi-finals across the four majors.
"He's been someone who I have watched throughout my whole entire career," Boulter said to Sky Sports.
"I think he's a true champion in everything that he does and I've got massive respect for what he does on a daily basis.
"If I needed some advice he'd definitely be someone I would go to. He's been on tour for a very long time and I'm sure he's got a lot of wisdom over the many, many years so he is someone who I would for sure be going to for advice."
Murray won the men's singles Championship at Wimbledon in 2013, after also claiming gold at the 2012 Olympics.
His third major would come in 2016, when he beat Milos Raonic in the Wimbledon final to secure a second victory at the All England Club.
"His legacy is everything," she added. "He is the epitome of tennis in his passion, his love for the game, it's like no other. You don't see that often on tour and what he's been able to accomplish."
Boulter has enjoyed a fantastic season on the WTA circuit, picking up her first title at the Rothesay Open earlier in June, where she defeated Jodie Burrage in straight sets to pick up her first title on the tour.
The British No.1 would go on to make the round of 32 at Wimbledon where she was defeated by defending champion Elena Rybakina.
But the 27-year-old admitted that Murray had been an inspiration for her when she was starting out in her career.
"Growing up it was a true rollercoaster to watch, but to see him come out the other end and to see him achieve his goals, it really makes people and kids like me back then to strive for what they want and to be able to achieve what he achieved," she said.
"To see him here at the NTC day in, day out still grafting, still working so hard it is truly inspiring and it's fun to watch in a way that it gives me questions in my head as to whether I should be doing certain things or whether I'll be playing in 10 years' time or whether I'll be playing in 20 years' time. I don't know, so it's nice to see a true champion at work - that's for sure."
Murray has had some ups and downs in his career, particularly with injuries, with a recurring hip problem having kept him sidelined for long periods over the past few years.
But Boulter commended him for his resilience, picking himself up through some difficult periods, something she admitted resonated with her most.
"He was my idol because we saw and closely saw him fail many times but pick himself up and finally achieve what he wanted so I think that was something that really resonated with me as a person because life is not easy," she added.
"You're going to have some failures but it's what you do after that makes the difference and Andy is the epitome of that."
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