Judy: Don’t let Prince George be like my Andy!
IT is a sport that has seen her son clinch two Olympic golds and make history as Britain’s first Wimbledon champion since 1936.
But Judy Murray yesterday warned the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge against any plans they may have to encourage their son to take up tennis.
Accepting an OBE from Prince William at Buckingham Palace, the 58-year-old said the path to the top of the sport is ‘a very difficult journey’.
Last month during a visit to the Lawn Tennis Association’s headquarters, the Duchess of Cambridge said she was teaching the game to fouryear-old Prince George, adding that he ‘only wants to whack the ball’.
Mrs Murray, former Great Britain Fed Cup coach, was awarded her OBE for services to tennis, women in sport, and charity.
After the ceremony, she said: ‘He [William] was saying about Catherine trying to teach Prince George how to play tennis and how I think she had said last week that she wants him to be the next Andy Murray.
‘I’m sure she was joking. I was trying to put them off that – I said it’s a very difficult journey.’
Last month, Mrs Murray disclosed that getting sons Jamie and Andy the best training possible for their tennis careers left her family ‘skint’.
After her inclusion in the Honour’s list was announced, she said: ‘I do what I love and I love what I do, so I feel very lucky to have been given this honour.’
Her trip to the Palace capped a memorable week for Mrs Murray after Sir Andy became a father again when wife Kim gave birth to their second daughter.