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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Courtney Pochin

Jamie Murray's life off court - Dunblane horror and talented wife who saved tennis career

His little brother Andy Murray is the former singles world number one and a two-time Wimbledon champ.

But Jamie Murray certainly isn't short of an achievement or two himself. Specialising in doubles tennis, he won the Davis Cup and is a seven-time Grand Slam doubles champion as well as a former doubles world number one.

Off the court, Jamie is known for being part of the famous sporting family, with his brother and their professional tennis coach mum, Judy Murray, but he's also started his own family with his stunning and equally accomplished wife.

The 37-year-old is a seven-times grand slam doubles champion (John Patrick Fletcher/Action Plus/REX/Shutterstock)

The 37-year-old grew up in Dunblane, Scotland, where both he and his brother were is school as the horror of the Dunblane massacre unfolded in 1996. Sixteen children and a teacher were killed in the gymnasium of Dunblane primary school, but both boys survived the evil attack by taking cover with other pupils.

Judy has previously spoken about the dark day, telling the Radio Times how her sons had known the shooter, Thomas Hamilton, as they'd attended boys' clubs that he'd run at the school. She'd even given him lifts in her car to the train station.

She said: "Andy's class had been on their way to the gym. That's how close he was to what happened. They heard the noise and someone went ahead to investigate. They came back and told all the kids to go to the headmaster's study and the deputy head's study."

Meanwhile, Jamie was in a prefab classroom when the shooting began.

"He told me they thought someone was knocking on the roof with a hammer. They could hear the noise, but you'd never think of gunfire," Judy added, recalling how she left work immediately and rushed to the school.

"I was driving there thinking, 'I might not see my children again'. There were too many cars on the road – everyone was trying to get there. I got angry, shouting 'Get out of the way!' About a quarter of a mile away I just got out and ran."

Jamie, left, poses with mum Judy and fellow tennis champ Andy (Getty Images)

Despite suffering such a trauma, the boys have gone on to achieve their dreams - Jamie was ranked the number three tennis player of his age in Europe when he was just 10. By 13 he was the junior world number two.

His career soared from there, and off the court his personal life has also been a win.

The tennis star met his wife Alejandra Gutierrez in 2008 when he was just 22. At the time, Columbian-born Alejandra was an MBA student studying in London.

The pair didn't waste any time and by October 2010 they married in an intimate ceremony at Cromlix House Hotel in Dunblane, with Andy as the best man.

Jamie and Alejandra were married in Dunblane in 2010, with Andy as the best man (PA)

As well as their parents, Jamie and Andy's grandparents were in attendance and their grandmother is said to have made the wedding cake for the big day, which featured both the Colombian and Scottish flags. The wedding also featured traditional music, with bagpipes greeting the wedding party and guests on arrival.

The hotel closed in 2011 but in 2013 it was confirmed that Andy had purchased the venue for £1.8 million and planned to refurbish it. Cromlix House reopened as a five-star hotel in 2014 and since then, the younger Murray brother has had his wedding reception there too. Their father, William Murray also tied the knot there.

Jamie and Alejandra welcomed a daughter in 2022, a little girl that they named Ava, and the couple has shared several sweet snaps as a family online.

Jamie shared a touching post to mark his daughter's first birthday, writing: "We made it through a year! I am so blessed to have an incredible little girl and wife. Ava is so blessed to have an incredible mum by her side."

The couple has started their own family and welcomed a little girl named Ava (@jamie__murray/Instagram)

While Alejandra encourages and supports all her husband's professional endeavours, there is one career move she has reportedly 'banned' him from doing.

Jamie previously revealed that she didn't want him to follow in his mother's footsteps and go on Strictly Come Dancing, as she doesn't think the show respects the tradition of salsa dancing.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Jamie explained said: "No, no, my wife wouldn't let me [appear on 'Strictly']. She's an amazing dancer, being South American, but she doesn't like it when they do the salsa or tango to pop music. She doesn't think it's pure."

During the same chat, he also shared some other tidbits about his wife, including that he calls her 'Ale'; that she's got a high-flying career as a global marketing manager for a large tech firm and that she's not bothered about attending the ATP tour to watch her hubby play tennis.

He added: "It's not that exciting for a wife or girlfriend on the tour. Ale has two degrees anyway, so she said, 'I'm not going to study all that time just to follow your around and wait in players' lounges to watch you do your job.'

"It was her who helped me get serious about my tennis again, serious about life again. She was a huge support, and probably the reason for me achieving what I've been able to in the past few years. I don't know if I'd have [been world number one] if I hadn't met her."

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