Celebrities share the stories behind their favourite photographs – this week it’s tennis coach Judy Murray

1981 I was offered a place to study French and German at Edinburgh University, but deferred for a year to see whether I could improve my game and take up tennis professionally. Here I am in the middle after winning the Scottish Grass County Championships. But there was no track record of tennis success in Scotland, and no infrastructure, and I found it hard. Eventually I went back to study and got a job as a trainee manager at Miss Selfridge. 1991 My sons Jamie and Andy played their first game of ‘tennis’ by bumping balloons across the sofa, followed by kitchen table tennis using biscuit-tin lids as bats. Even at the age of four, Andy [left] wanted to win everything. If he didn’t, he’d stomp off in a fury. Having an older brother who was bigger and better at most things made Andy the ubercompetitor he is today... now their sibling rivalry is restricted to their Fantasy Football League teams. I was labelled a pushy mum for a long time but thankfully things have changed now, and the sporting media knows how hard I work on the grass-roots side of the game. When I got the Fed Cup captain job [in 2011], that was the first time the media recognised I was a good coach and not just Andy and Jamie’s mum. 2013 It was such a relief when Andy won Wimbledon – he didn’t have to prove himself any more. After the match, he climbed through the crowd at Centre Court to the players’ box. He couldn’t reach me because I was three rows back, so after he’d hugged his coach, Ivan Lendl, and Kim, his girlfriend, the crowd started shouting, ‘What about your mum?’ That’s when I walked to the front and we hugged. 1960 My mum Shirley was force-feeding me tennis balls before I could walk, as you can see from this photo! Both she and my father Roy played competitively for Dunblane Tennis Club. Mum’s an amazing cook, but during Wimbledon fortnight it was tennis on the telly all day long, punctuated by cold food – usually salad or something from the back of the fridge.

1973 Look at my hair! I played my first competition when

I was 11, about a year after my dad bought me an £11 starter racket from Woolworths. By 13 I’d been selected for the national team and became a pro at travelling. My mum would put me on a train for London and I was fearless. I can’t imagine letting a child do that now. 2001 I’m not sure either of the boys know the horrendous financial stress I was under during their teenage years. When this picture was taken Andy was 14, and I was living hand to mouth, pay cheque to pay cheque. Every hotel for every tournament was the absolute cheapest. I became an expert at finding deals at restaurants. I knew what it was like to stare at the ceiling at 3am, wondering how on earth this was going to work itself out. But I just knew I had to give the boys the chance. There was no plan B... so it’s a good job plan A worked out. 2014 I couldn’t believe it when the BBC invited me to take part in Strictly Come Dancing. Jamie was delighted, but when I told Andy he put his head in his hands, laughed, and said, ‘Mum, you’ll be terrible!’ Their only real concern was whether I’d be OK, knowing the potential criticism it opened up. To my delight, the votes for me rolled in, week after week, and I could sense people’s attitudes to me changing. 2016 The boys’ success has made my parents so proud. Dad doesn’t get out much now, but still loves to watch the matches. But Mum finds every moment delicious. If one of them is in a big final, she gets her hair done the day before, in case friends call in to congratulate her. If either wins, she pops out on some pretext to walk up and down the high street, talking to absolutely everyone.