Andy Murray has heard the talk of more awards – from the sports personality of the year to a knighthood in the New Year honours list – but he is more concerned about returning to Scotland to celebrate his father’s wedding.
After beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets at the O2 Arena on Sunday to win his first ATP World Tour Finals, the world No1 blushed and said being introduced on court in Melbourne next month as Sir Andrew Murray would be “nice” – but he was not banking on a visit to Buckingham Palace. Nor was he sure about becoming the first British athlete to win the BBC accolade for a third time, although he is an unbackable favourite.
“It is the highest honour you can get in this country,” he said of a strongly rumoured knighthood, “but I don’t know, I feel, like, too young for something like that.”
Would he feel uncomfortable being an active athlete and a knight of the realm? “Yeah, possibly. I don’t think about that stuff much, really. When I win any award or am presented with anything it is nice because it is recognition for what you have given your life to, up to now anyway. I am still young and there are still a lot of things that can go wrong, I could still mess up and make mistakes, do stuff wrong. I am just trying to keep doing what I am doing, working hard, and achieving stuff.”
Murray doubted he would be able to attend the Spoty ceremony in Birmingham on 18 December because his father, Willie, is remarrying next month. “I don’t think I am going to be able to go this year,” he said. “I’ve got my father’s stag do next weekend, then he is getting married the following weekend. So I will go up to Scotland on Saturday, come back down to London for four or five days then come back up to Scotland. Then I go to Miami the day after my dad’s wedding.”
Nor was he sure he would be the Scottish Andy from Dunblane to win the BBC accolade. “Andy Butchart [the Olympic 5,000-metre runner and boyfriend of Caitlin Watson, who is the daughter of Andy’s father’s fiancée, Sam] did great,” Murray said. “And the Brownlee brothers [triathletes Alistair and Jonny], what they have done throughout the whole year is pretty amazing. I see that as pretty cool, because I have a similar thing with my own brother [Jamie, world No1 in doubles with Bruno Soares]. And the thing that happened a few months after the Olympics was a nice thing to see, that it is not just a win‑at‑all‑costs mentality.
“I have no idea who will win it but, in an Olympic year, it is always tough to pick because there are always so many great performances.”
If there was an award for self-deprecation, it is unlikely Murray would have many challengers.
