Judy had to play the long game but at last she’s being heard

In the early days of Andy Murray’s journey to tennis superstardom, some sections of the media didn’t know what to make of the “surly Scot” who rarely cracked a smile. Andy’s mother Judy, who cheered her son on from the Wimbledon players’ box, punching the air every time he won a point, became a target for criticism and conjecture, too.

Having coached Andy from a young age, she was labelled a “pushy mum” and it was even suggested she was a suffocating force, somehow to blame for Andy’s early failure to win a grand slam. Would a supportive father have endured the same scrutiny?

Over the years I have enjoyed watching Andy and Judy both prove their doubters wrong.

Andy has gone on to become one of the most successful tennis players in the world and an authentic role model, unafraid to call out sexism and inequality. At the same time, Judy has forged her own path, using her public platform to support and encourage women into the sporting spotlight.

In her new show Driving Force, starting on Sky TV next week, Judy interviews some of the UK’S most successful sportswomen in a bid to understand and highlight the unique pressures and hurdles female competitors face at the highest level.

In our interview on pages 6&7, Judy looks back at her own struggle to be heard in the male-dominated world of tennis, particularly when she was lobbying for more funding for youth coaching. She tells us:“i know what it feels like to not be taken seriously.”

I just hope those who dismissed her all those years ago can now see her for what she is – a driving force for good.