Murray receives OBE after his best year on court
TENNIS star Jamie Murray’s most successful year on the court has been matched with an award as he received an OBE for services to his sport and charity.
Murray, 30, has forged a career playing doubles and during the past 12 months has won the US and Australian Open titles and helped the Great Britain team clinch the Davis Cup.
After receiving the OBE from the Queen during a Buckingham Palace investiture ceremony, the doubles star said: “I never expected this, and it’s not something you think about.
“It’s amazing to be honoured like this for some of the achievements I’ve been able to do in my tennis career.”
As a four-year-old, Murray began playing tennis alongside his younger sibling Andy and turned professional at 18.
The brothers were set on the road to tennis stardom by their mother Judy Murray, a tennis coach who joined him at the palace along with his Colombianborn wife Alejandra Gutierrez and father William Murray.
Jamie Murray came to wider attention when at the age of 21 he won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 2007 with Serbian Jelena Jankovic, becoming the first Briton to win a senior title at SW19 for 20 years.
A highlight of his career was being part of the team which won the Davis Cup last year, a historic victory as Great Britain lifted the famous trophy for the first time since 1936.
He added: “It’s important to enjoy the moments, because what I’ve learned from tennis is that because you don’t stop, it’s so constant through the year, you might win an event and do really well in a tournament, and then you’re off to play the next one and you kind of miss the moment to really savour it.”
Also honoured at the ceremony were broadcaster Janet Street Porter who received a CBE and Dynasty actress Emma Samms who received an MBE for charity work.
Meanwhile, Jamie’s brother Andy’s first charity exhibition match raised more than £305,000 for two children’s charities.
The Wimbledon champion staged the first Andy Murray Live event at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro Arena in front of a sell-out crowd of 10,000 people on September 21.
Jamie, former British number one Tim Henman, tennis ace Grigor Dimitrov and special guests including Rio Paralympic champion Gordon Reid all took part to raise money for Unicef UK and Young People’s Futures (YPF).
Glasgow charity YPF will spend the donation on facilities for young people in Possilpark, one of the city’s most deprived areas. It will invest in a minibus, sports facilities and a caravan to offer families respite and holidays.
Andy Murray said: “It was always really important to me that this event should be for charity and so I’m really pleased we’ve been able to raise a significant amount in our first year.
“Children’s charities have become more relevant to me now I’m a father, and both these organisations do great work.”