Fact File On SPOTY 2015 Winner Andy Murray

Andy Murray won last night's Sports Personality Of The Year.

Today we take a look at Andy Murray's Fact File & History.

Andrew Barron "Andy" Murray OBE  is a Scottish professional tennis player, currently ranked World No. 2. He started playing tennis at the age of three, entered his first competitive tournament at age five and was playing league tennis by the time he was eight. He is known to be one of the most consistent players on the tour, reaching at least the quarter-finals of all Grand Slam tournaments he has participated in since 2011, with the exception of the 2015 US Open. When he was 15 he moved to Barcelona to train at the Sánchez-Casal Academy. He won the junior US Open in 2004 and turned professional the following year. Murray has been ranked as British No. 1 since 27 February 2006. He achieved a top-10 ranking by the ATP for the first time on 16 April 2007, and reached a career peak of World No. 2 on 17 August 2009.

Murray is the reigning Olympic champion, having defeated Roger Federer at the 2012 Olympic Games in straight sets to win the gold medal in the men's singles final, becoming the first British singles champion in over 100 years. He also won a silver medal in the mixed doubles, playing with Laura Robson.

At the 2012 US Open, Murray became the first British player since 1977, and the first British man since 1936, to win a Grand Slam singles tournament, when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final in five sets. This title made him the only British male to become a Grand Slam singles champion during the Open Era. On 7 July 2013, Murray won the 2013 Wimbledon Championships, becoming the first British player to win a Wimbledon senior singles title since Virginia Wade in 1977, and the first British man to win the Men's Singles Championship since Fred Perry, 77 years previously. He again beat Djokovic in the final, this time in straight sets. Murray is the only man in history to have won Olympic Gold and the US Open in the same calendar year, as well as only the third man to hold the Gold Medal and two majors on different surfaces . Subsequent to his success at the Olympics and Wimbledon, Murray was voted the 2013 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

He has been the runner-up in six other singles Grand Slam finals: the 2008 US Open, the 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2015 Australian Opens, and the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, losing three each to Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. He is the first man in the open era to achieve four runner-up finishes at the Australian Open, after losing to Djokovic in the final of the 2015 Australian Open. In 2011, Murray became only the seventh player in the Open Era to reach the semifinals of all four Grand Slam tournaments in one year. During the 2015 season he became the fifth man in tennis history to have won over $40 million in career prize money. After reaching the French Open semifinal in 2014 he became the tenth man to reach two or more semifinals at each of the four Majors. Murray won 11 matches  to enable the UK to win the 2015 Davis Cup.

Early and personal life

  

Murray was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of Judith  and William Murray. Murray's elder brother, Jamie, is also a professional tennis player, playing on the doubles circuit. Murray was born with a bipartite patella, where the kneecap remains as two separate bones instead of fusing together in early childhood, but was not diagnosed until the age of 16. He is seen frequently to hold his knee due to the pain caused by the condition and has pulled out of events because of it. Murray began playing tennis at the age of three when his mother Judy took him to play on the local courts. He played in his first competitive tournament at age five and by the time he was eight he was competing with adults in the Central District Tennis League.

Murray grew up in Dunblane and attended Dunblane Primary School. He and his brother were present during the 1996 Dunblane school massacre, when Thomas Hamilton killed 16 children and a teacher before shooting himself; Murray took cover in a classroom. Murray says he was too young to understand what was happening and is reluctant to talk about it in interviews, but in his autobiography Hitting Back he states that he attended a youth group run by Hamilton, and that his mother gave Hamilton lifts in her car. Murray later attended Dunblane High School.

Murray's parents split up when he was only 10. He believes the impact this had on him could be the reason behind his competitive spirit. At 15, he was asked to train with Rangers Football Club at their School of Excellence, but declined, opting to focus on his tennis career instead. He then decided to move to Barcelona, Spain. There he studied at the Schiller International School and trained on the clay courts of the Sánchez-Casal Academy. Murray described this time as "a big sacrifice". Later that month Murray was awarded Freedom of Stirling and became a Doctor of the University of Stirling in recognition of his services to tennis.

Murray began dating Kim Sears, daughter of player-turned-coach Nigel Sears, in 2005. Their engagement was announced in November 2014, In August 2015, Murray announced that he and Sears are expecting their first child, due in February 2016.

Career

Junior tennis

   

Leon Smith, Murray's tennis coach from 11 to 17, described Murray as "unbelievably competitive", while Murray attributes his abilities to the motivation gained from losing to his older brother Jamie. At the age of 12, Murray won his age group at the Orange Bowl, a prestigious event for junior players.

In July 2003, Murray started out on the Challenger and Futures circuit. In his first tournament, he reached the quarterfinals of the Manchester challenger. In September, Murray won his first senior title by taking the Glasgow Futures event. He also reached the semi-finals of the Edinburgh Futures event. In July 2004 Murray played a Challenger event in Nottingham, where he lost to future Grand Slam finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round. Murray then went on to win events in Xàtiva and Rome.

In September 2004, he won the Junior US Open and was selected for the Davis Cup match against Austria later that month; however, he was not selected to play. Later that year, he won BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.

As a junior, Murray reached as high as No. 6 in the world in 2003 . In the 2004-instated combined rankings, Murray reached No. 2 in the world.

Junior Slam results:

Australian Open: -

French Open: SF

US Open: W

2005–2007: Reaching the top 15

   

Murray began 2005 ranked world No. 407, and in March, he became the youngest Briton to play in the Davis Cup. Murray turned professional in April and was given a wild card entry to a clay-court tournament in Barcelona, the Open SEAT, where he lost in three sets to Jan Hernych. Murray then reached the semi-finals of the boys' French Open where he lost in straight sets to Marin Čilić. Given a wild card to Queen's, Murray progressed past Santiago Ventura in straight sets for his first ATP match win. After a second round win against Taylor Dent, he played former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson in the third round, losing in three sets. Following his performance at Queen's, Murray received a wild card for Wimbledon. Ranked 312, Murray became the first Scot in the Open Era to reach the third round of the men's singles tournament at Wimbledon. In the third round, Murray lost to 2002 Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian, despite having led by two sets to love.

Following Wimbledon, Murray won Challengers events on the hard courts of Aptos and Binghamton, New York. He then experienced his first Masters event at Cincinnati, where he beat Taylor Dent, before losing in three sets to world No. 4, Marat Safin. With a wild card entry, Murray played Andrei Pavel in the opening round of the US Open, where he recovered from being down two sets to one to win his first five-set match. However, he lost in the second round to Arnaud Clément in another five set contest. Murray was again selected for the Davis Cup match against Switzerland. He was picked for the opening singles rubbers, losing in straight sets to Stanislas Wawrinka. Murray then made his first ATP final at the Thailand Open where he faced world No. 1 Roger Federer. Murray lost in straight sets. He completed the year ranked 64 and was named the 2005 BBC Scotland Sports Personality of the Year.

The 2006 season saw Murray compete on the full circuit for the first time and split with his coach Mark Petchey and team up with Brad Gilbert. Murray suffered a straight sets defeat at the Australian Open, to Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela in the first round and to Gaël Monfils at the French Open, in five sets. Murray however reached the fourth round for the first time at both Wimbledon and the US Open. Murray played in Davis Cup ties against Serbia, Israel and Ukraine. Murray missed the opening singles matches before losing the doubles as Britain lost their tie against Serbia. During the tie with Israel, Murray won his rubber and lost the doubles before pulling out with a neck injury before the reverse singles, as Britain lost the tie. Against the Ukraine, Murray won both his singles rubbers, but lost the doubles, as Britain won the tie. At the Masters, Murray lost in the first round in Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome. Murray went out of the tournaments in Indian Wells and Hamburg in the second round. Murray reached his first Masters semifinal in Toronto at the Rogers Cup losing to Richard Gasquet.

At Cincinnati, Murray became only one of two players, alongside Rafael Nadal, to defeat Roger Federer in 2006, breaking the Swiss star's 55 match winning streak on hard courts. He lost two rounds later to Andy Roddick, but broke into the top 20 for the first time. In the final two Masters events in Madrid and Paris, Murray exited both tournaments at the last-16 stage ending his season, with losses to Novak Djokovic and Dominik Hrbatý. When the tour reached San Jose, California; Murray defeated a top ten player for the first time in the shape of Andy Roddick. Murray went on to claim the SAP Open title defeating world No. 11 Lleyton Hewitt. Murray was also a finalist at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. Playing doubles with his brother in Bangkok the pair reached the final. After the French Open, where Murray was injured again, he revealed that his bones hadn't fully grown, causing him to suffer from cramps and back problems.

In November of the 2007 season, Murray split with his coach Brad Gilbert and added a team of experts along with Miles Maclagan, his main coach. Murray reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, where he lost a five-set match against world No. 2, Rafael Nadal. Murray however suffered a third round loss at the US Open. At the Masters tournaments, Murray reached the semifinals of Indian Wells and Miami. At Rome and Cincinnati, Murray exited in the first round whilst going out in the second in Canada. In the final two masters tournaments, Murray exited in the third round in Madrid and he went out in the quarter finals of Paris. In his first match in Hamburg, Murray was up 5–1 when he hit a forehand from the back of the court and snapped the tendons in his wrist. Murray won titles in San Jose and St. Petersburg. He also reached the final of tournaments in Doha and Metz finishing the season ranked 11th in the world.

2008: First major final and first Masters titles

   

In 2008, Murray suffered a first round loss at the Australian Open to eventual runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and a third round loss at the French Open to Nicolás Almagro. Murray then made his first Grand Slam quarter final at Wimbledon before making his first final at the US Open. During the tournament in New York, Murray claimed his first win over Nadal. That victory meant that he'd become the first player from Britain since Greg Rusedski in 1997 to reach a major final. In his first Grand Slam final Murray suffered a straight sets loss to Federer. At the Beijing Olympics, Murray suffered one of the worst defeats of his career, losing his first round singles match to world No. 77 Yen-hsun Lu of Taiwan in straight sets. That abject defeat was still on his mind in a BBC interview five years later – despite an intervening Olympic gold medal and a head-to-head win – when he met the same player  in the 2nd round of Wimbledon 2013.

In the Masters tournaments Murray went out in round four in Indian Wells and the first round of Miami. In the clay Masters Murray made the third round of Monte Carlo and Hamburg and the second of Rome. On the American hard court swing Murray made the semi finals of Toronto before winning his first Masters shield in Cincinnati. He added another shield to his collection in Madrid; before losing in the quarter finals of Paris. Now at No. 4 in the world, Murray qualified for the first time for the Masters Cup. He played well in defeating an injured Federer but lost to Davydenko in the semi-finals. Murray ended 2008 ranked fourth in the world. Murray also won tournaments in Doha, Marseille and St Petersburg.

2009: Reaching world rank No. 2 

  

Murray opened the 2009 season with a successful defence of his title at the Qatar Open in Doha, defeating Andy Roddick in straight sets. At the Australian Open, Murray made it to the fourth round, losing to Fernando Verdasco. Murray won his eleventh career title in Rotterdam, defeating No. 1, Nadal in the three sets. Murray next went to Dubai but withdrew before the quarterfinals with a re-occurrence of a virus that had affected him at the Australian Open. The virus caused Murray to miss a Davis Cup tie in Glasgow. Murray then lost in the finals to Nadal at Indian Wells, but won a week later in Miami over Novak Djokovic for another masters title.

In the lead-up to the French Open, Murray lost to Nadal in the semis at the Monte Carlo Masters, he was upset in round two of the Rome Masters by qualifier Juan Mónaco, and he reached the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters, losing to Del Potro. During this time Murray achieved the highest ever ranking of a British male in the Open Era when he became world No. 3 on 11 May 2009. Murray reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 French Open, but was defeated by Fernando González in four sets.

Murray won for the first time on grass at Queen's and became the first British winner of the tournament since 1938. In the final Murray defeated American James Blake. At Wimbledon, against Stanislas Wawrinka, Murray's fourth round match was the first match to be played entirely under Wimbledon's retractable roof, also enabling it to be the latest finishing match ever at Wimbledon. However Murray lost a tight semifinal to Andy Roddick.

Murray returned to action in Montreal, defeating del Potro in three sets to take the title. After this victory, he overtook Nadal in the rankings and held the number two position until the start of the US Open. Murray followed the Masters win playing at the Cincinnati Masters, where he lost to Federer. At the US Open, Murray was hampered by a wrist injury and suffered a straight-sets loss to Čilić. Murray won both his singles matches, and lost at doubles in the Davis Cup against Poland, but was then forced to miss six weeks with a wrist injury.

In November, Murray won at Valencia, but bowed out in round two of the Paris Masters. To end the season, Murray did not make it out of the round robin at the World Tour Finals in London.

2010: Australian Open runner-up and two Masters titles 

  

Murray and Laura Robson represented Britain at the Hopman Cup. The pair progressed to the final, where they were beaten by Spain. At the Australian Open Murray beat Nadal and Cilic before losing in the final to world No. 1 Roger Federer. At the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Murray reached the quarterfinals, losing to Robin Söderling in straight sets. Murray next played at the 2010 Sony Ericsson Open, but lost his first match of the tournament to Mardy Fish, afterwards saying that his mind hadn't been fully on tennis. At the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, Murray suffered another first match loss, this time to Philipp Kohlschreiber. He also entered the doubles competition with Ross Hutchins, but they lost to the Bryan Brothers on a champions tie-breaker. Murray reached the third round in the Rome Masters, and the quarterfinals at the Madrid Masters, losing both times to David Ferrer.

After playing an exhibition match, Murray started the French Open with three tough wins, before losing in straight sets to Tomáš Berdych in the fourth round. In London, Murray progressed to the third round, where he faced Mardy Fish. At 3–3 in the final set with momentum going Murray's way, the match was called off for bad light, leaving Murray fuming. Coming back the next day, Murray was edged out by the eventual finalist in a tie-breaker for his second defeat by him in the year. At Wimbledon, Murray progressed to the semi-finals, losing to Rafael Nadal in straight sets. On 27 July 2010, Andy Murray and his coach Maclagan split, and Murray replaced him with Àlex Corretja.

Starting the US hard-court season with the 2010 Farmers Classic, Murray reached the final but lost against Sam Querrey in three sets. This was his first loss to Querrey in five career meetings. In Canada, Murray became the first player since Andre Agassi in 1995 to defend the Canadian Masters. Murray defeated Nadal and then Federer in straight sets, ending his eight-month title drought. At the Cincinnati Masters, Murray first complained about the speed of the court, and then in a quarterfinal match with Fish, Murray complained that the organisers refused to put the match on later in the day With temperatures reaching 33 °C in the shade, Murray won the first set in a tie-breaker but began to feel ill. The doctor was called on court to actively cool Murray down. Murray admitted after the match that he had considered retiring. He lost the second set, but forced a final-set tie-breaker, before Fish won. After losing to Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round of the US Open, questions about Murray's conditioning arose, as he called the trainer out twice during the match.

His next event was the China Open in Beijing, where Murray reached the quarterfinals, losing to Ivan Ljubičić. Murray then won the Shanghai Rolex Masters dismissing Roger Federer in straight sets. He did not drop a single set throughout the event. Murray returned to Spain to defend his title at the Valencia Open 500 but lost in the second round to Juan Mónaco. However, in doubles, Murray partnered his brother Jamie Murray to the final, where they defeated Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi. The victory was Murray's first doubles title and the second time he had reached a final with his brother.

Murray reached the quarter finals at the BNP Paribas Masters losing to Gaël Monfils in three sets. Combined with his exit and Söderling's taking the title, Murray found himself pushed down a spot in the rankings, to No. 5 from No. 4. At the Tour finals in London, Murray went 2–1 in round robin play before facing Nadal in the semifinal. They battled for over three hours, before Murray fell to the Spaniard in a final-set tie-breaker, bringing an end to his season.

2011: Second Australian Open final and two Masters titles

   

Murray and Laura Robson lost in the round-robin stage 2011 Hopman Cup, losing all three ties even though Murray won all of his singles matches. Then Murray, along with other stars such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, participated in the Rally for Relief event to help raise money for the flood victims in Queensland.

Seeded fifth in the 2011 Australian Open, Murray met former champion Novak Djokovic in the final and was defeated in straight sets. In Rotterdam, he was defeated by Marcos Baghdatis in the first round. Murray reached the semifinals of the doubles tournament with his brother Jamie. Murray lost to qualifiers in the first rounds at the Masters Series events in Indian Wells and Miami, after which he split with coach Àlex Corretja.

Murray returned to form at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, but lost to Nadal in the semifinals. Murray sustained an elbow injury before the match and subsequently withdrew from the 2011 Barcelona Open Banco Sabadell due to the injury. Murray lost in the third round at the Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open, but made it to the semifinals of the Rome Masters, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. At the French Open, Murray won two tough early matches, before losing in his first semifinal at Roland Garros, against Rafael Nadal.

Murray defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win his second Queen's Club title. At Wimbledon, Murray lost in the semifinal to Nadal, despite taking the first set. At the Davis Cup tie between Great Britain and Luxembourg, Murray led the British team to victory. Murray was the two-time defending 2011 Rogers Cup champion, but lost in the second round to South African Kevin Anderson. However, the following week, he won the 2011 Western & Southern Open, beating Novak Djokovic, after Djokovic retired due to injury. At the 2011 US Open, Murray battled from two sets down to win a five-set second-round encounter with Robin Haase, but lost in the semifinals to Rafael Nadal in four sets.

Murray easily won the small 250-class Thailand Open, and the following week he won his third title in four tournaments at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships. His opponent in the final was Rafael Nadal, whom he beat for the first time in the year in three sets. Murray then won the doubles with his brother Jamie Murray, becoming the first person in the 2011 season to capture both singles and doubles titles at the same tournament. Murray then successfully defended his Shanghai Masters crown with a straight-sets victory over David Ferrer in the final. At the ATP World Tour Finals, Murray lost to David Ferrer in straight sets and withdrew from the tournament after the loss with a groin pull. Murray ended the year as No. 4 in the world behind Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer.

2012: US Open champion, Wimbledon runner-up and Olympic gold

   

With Ivan Lendl as his new full-time coach, Murray began the season by playing in the 2012 Brisbane International. He overcame a slow start in his first two matches to win his 22nd title by beating Alexandr Dolgopolov in the final. In doubles, he lost in the quarterfinals against second seeds Jürgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner in a tight match. After an exhibition tournament, Murray made it to the semifinals of the 2012 Australian Open, where he was defeated by Djokovic in a four-hour-and 50-minute match.

At the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Murray defeated Djokovic in the semifinals, but lost in the final to Roger Federer. After an early defeat at the BNP Paribas Open, Murray made the finals of the Miami Masters, losing to Djokovic. Murray then had quarterfinal losses at the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open, and a third round loss at the Italian Open.

Murray lost in the opening round of the Queen's Club Championships to world No. 65 Nicolas Mahut. At Wimbledon, Murray set the record for the latest finish at the championships when he completed a four-set victory over Marcos Baghdatis at 23:02 BST. Murray beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinal in four sets to become the first male British player to reach the final of Wimbledon since Bunny Austin in 1938. In the final, he faced Federer, but after taking the first set, he lost the match in four sets.

Murray next competed at the London 2012 Summer Olympics in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. He partnered his brother Jamie Murray in doubles and suffered a first-round exit to Austria  in three sets. In the mixed doubles, Murray was partnered by Laura Robson. They made it all the way to the finals where they lost to the Belarusian top seeds  in three sets, settling for the silver medal. In singles, Murray lost only one set on his way to the finals where he met Federer, defeating him in straight sets, for the loss of just 7 games.

Murray retired early in the Rogers Cup due to a knee injury, and was beaten by unseeded Jérémy Chardy at the Cincinnati Masters in straight sets. He next competed in the final major of the season at the US Open. He cruised through his opening two rounds in straight sets against Alex Bogomolov and Ivan Dodig, before facing a tough four-set battle with Feliciano López, where Murray had to win three tie-breakers. In the fourth round, he defeated the Canadian Milos Raonic in straight sets, and then in the quarterfinals, had to come from a set and two breaks down against Marin Čilić to prevail in four. In the semifinals, he defeated Tomáš Berdych in a long-fought match that lasted almost four hours, to reach his second consecutive Grand Slam final. Murray defeated Djokovic in five sets, becoming the first British man to win a Grand Slam final since Fred Perry in 1936, and the first Scottish-born player to win a Grand Slam final since Harold Mahony in 1896. The win would also set several records for Murray: it involved the longest tiebreak in US Open final history at 12–10 in the first set, it made Murray the first man ever to win an Olympic gold medal and the US Open in the same year, and it tied with the 1988 US Open final  as the longest final in the tournament's history. By defeating Djokovic in the final, Murray achieved his 100th Grand Slam match win of his career. The victory made Murray part of the "Big Four" according to many pundits, including Novak Djokovic.

In his first tournament after the US Open, Murray reached the semifinals of the Rakuten Japan Open after entering as defending champion. He was beaten by Milos Raonic in a close three-set match. He was also defending champion in the doubles with his brother Jamie. However, they were knocked out in the quarterfinals by top seeds Leander Paes and Radek Štěpánek. At the penultimate Masters 1000 tournament of the year in Shanghai, after receiving a bye into round two, Murray's first match was due to be played against Florian Mayer. However, Mayer had to pull out due to injury, giving Murray a walkover into round three. After beating Alexandr Dolgopolov in the third round, he then overcame Radek Štěpánek in a three-set quarterfinal. Murray next faced Roger Federer in the semifinals, whom he defeated in straight sets to set up a second consecutive final against Novak Djokovic, and his third consecutive Shanghai final. After failing to capitalise on five match points, Murray eventually lost in three sets, bringing to an end his 12–0 winning streak at the competition.

When Rafael Nadal pulled out of both the Paris Masters and the Year-End Championships, Murray finished the year at No. 3 in the world, after four years at No. 4. This was the first time Murray had finished the year higher than No. 4 in the world. At the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Murray found himself voted third overall, ahead of Mo Farah. Murray won the World Breakthrough of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards.

Murray was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire  in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to tennis.

2013: Wimbledon champion and third Australian Open final 

  

Murray began his 2013 season by retaining his Brisbane International title, defeating Grigor Dimitrov in the final in straight sets. Trying to win his second Major in a row, he began the 2013 Australian Open well with a straight sets victory over Dutchman Robin Haase. He followed this up with straight set victories over João Sousa, practice partner Ričardas Berankis and French No. 14 seed Gilles Simon. In the quarterfinals he cruised past Jérémy Chardy in straight sets to set up a semi final clash with Roger Federer. After exchanging sets, Murray eventually prevailed in 5 sets, recording his first Grand Slam tournament triumph over Federer. With this victory, each member of the ATP's most dominant quartet of the previous four years  had beaten the other three at the Majors. This victory set up Murray's third consecutive Major final appearance, and second in a row against Novak Djokovic. After taking the first set in a tiebreak, Murray was eventually defeated in four sets. His defeat in this final meant that Murray became only the second man in the Open Era to achieve three runner-up finishes at the Australian Open, the other being Stefan Edberg.

At the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Murray lost at the quarter-final stage to Juan Martín del Potro in three sets. At the Miami Masters, Murray made it through his first four matches without dropping a set, and after overcoming Richard Gasquet in the semifinals, faced David Ferrer in the final. After losing the first set, and facing match point in the decider at 5–6, Murray eventually took the match in a third set tiebreaker to win his second Miami Masters title, and leapfrog Roger Federer into second place in the rankings, ending a near-decade long time period in which neither Federer or Rafael Nadal were ranked in the top two. Murray briefly fell back to No. 3 in the world, following a third round defeat by Stanislas Wawrinka in Monte-Carlo, but reclaimed the No. 2 ranking as a result of Federer failing to defend his title at the Mutua Madrid Open. Later, Murray lost at the quarter-final stage to Tomáš Berdych in straight sets. At the Rome Masters, Murray retired due to a hip injury during his second round match against Marcel Granollers on his 26th birthday. Murray had just battled back to tie the match at one set all after winning the second set on a tiebreak. This left Murray with only eleven days to be fit for the start of the French Open.

Speaking at a press conference after the match, Murray said, "As it is, I'd be very surprised if I was playing in Paris. I need to make a plan as to what I do. I'll chat with the guys tonight and make a plan for the next few days then make a decision on Paris after the next five days." He would go on to withdraw from Roland Garros later, citing a back injury. After a four-week break due to injury, Murray made his comeback at the 2013 Aegon Championships, where he was the top seed. After a rain delayed first day, Murray had to complete his second round match against Nicolas Mahut, and his subsequent match against Marinko Matosevic on the same day, both of which he won in straight sets. After beating Benjamin Becker in the quarterfinals, Murray next faced his first top ten opponent since losing to Tomas Berdych in Madrid, taking on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinals. After dropping the first set against the Frenchman, Murray eventually raised his level and won in three to set up a final against Marin Čilić of Croatia, his third consecutive final on grass courts. He came from behind again to beat Čilić in three sets to claim his third title at Queen's Club.

Going into Wimbledon, Murray hadn't lost a match on grass since the previous year's final, and was on a winning streak of 11 matches on grass. In the first two rounds, Murray faced Benjamin Becker and Yen-hsun Lu respectively, defeating both in straight sets. His third round match was against 32nd seed Tommy Robredo, and despite a tour comeback over the past year, Murray overcame the Spaniard in straight sets to set up a clash with Mikhail Youzhny, the highest seed left in Murray's half following the unexpectedly early exits of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Despite facing a fightback in the second set, Murray won in straight sets to make it through to his tenth consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal, in which he was to play Fernando Verdasco, the first left-handed player Murray had faced since the 2012 US Open. For the seventh time in his career, Murray had to come back from a deficit of two sets to ultimately come through in five, setting up a semifinal clash with 24th seed Jerzy Janowicz, the Polish player who beat Murray in their previous encounter. After Murray failed to break Janowicz's serve, the Pole took the opening set in the tiebreak, following a double fault from Murray. However Murray managed to up his level of play, and won the next three sets, making it through to his second consecutive Wimbledon final, and third consecutive major final against Novak Djokovic

.

Despite the Serb being the favourite to win the title throughout the Championships, Murray overcame Djokovic in a straight sets match that lasted over three hours, to become the first British winner of the men's singles title since Fred Perry in 1936, the first Scot of either sex to win a Wimbledon singles title since Harold Mahoney in 1896, and to extend his winning streak on grass to 18 matches.

With the win, he also became only the second man in the open era after Rafael Nadal to hold the Olympic singles gold medal and Wimbledon title simultaneously.

At the US Open, Murray entered a Grand Slam tournament as defending champion for the first time, and started strongly with a straight sets win against Michael Llodra. He backed this up with wins over Leonardo Mayer, Florian Mayer and Denis Istomin to reach the quarterfinals at a major for the 11th straight tournament. In the last 8, Murray faced Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, but lost in straight sets, ending Murray's streak of four consecutive major finals. Following his disappointing run of form on hard courts, Murray next joined the Great Britain Davis Cup team in their World Group Play-off tie on clay against Croatia, where he played in two singles and the doubles rubbers. After defeating 16-year-old Borna Ćorić in straight sets, Murray teamed up with Colin Fleming to defeat Croatian number 1 Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavić in the doubles, and take a 2–1 lead in the tie. Murray then sealed Britain's return to the World Group by defeating Dodig in straight sets.

Following the Davis Cup, Murray's season was cut short by his decision to undergo surgery, in order to sort out the lower back problems that had caused him problems since the early stages of the previous season. After being forced to withdraw from the French Open in May, the injury flared up again during the US Open and later during the Davis Cup World Group Play-offs, Murray made the decision that surgery was the best way to sort the problem out for the long-term. Following the conclusion of the 2013 season, Murray was voted the 2013 BBC Sport Personality of the Year, after having been heavy favourite since the nominees were announced.

2014: Recovery from surgery and 30th career title 

  

Murray started his season at the Qatar Open in Doha. In the first round, he defeated Mousa Shanan Zayed in straight sets in 37 minutes without dropping a single game, but was defeated in three sets by world No. 40 Florian Mayer in the second round, despite being a set and a break up three games into the second set. He then played a warm-up match at the 2014 AAMI Classic in Kooyong against world No. 43 Lleyton Hewitt, losing in two close tiebreaks. Murray next headed to Melbourne for the 2014 Australian Open, where he drew the world No. 112, Go Soeda of Japan. Despite worries that he was not match-fit, Murray got off to a strong start, dispatching the Japanese number 2 in under 90 minutes, losing just 5 games in the process. He next went on to defeat Vincent Millot and Feliciano Lopez respectively in straight sets. In the fourth round, Murray dropped his first set of the tournament on his way to beating Stephane Robert in four sets to set up a meeting with long-standing rival Roger Federer in the quarterfinals. Despite saving two match points to take the third set, he ultimately went out in four, ending his streak of four consecutive Australian Open semifinals. As a result of losing before the final, Murray fell to No. 6 in the world, falling out of the top 5 for the first time since 2008.

He next headed to the United States to compete in the Davis Cup World Group first round with Great Britain, who went into the tie as outsiders. Murray won both of his ties against Donald Young and Sam Querrey respectively, helping Britain to their first Davis Cup quarterfinal since 1986. Murray's next tournament was the Rotterdam Open after receiving a late wild card, however he lost to Marin Cilic in straight sets in the quarterfinals. His following competition, the Mexican Open in Acapulco, ended in a semifinal defeat by Grigor Dimitrov in a thrilling three-setter that required two tiebreakers to decide the final two sets.

At Indian Wells, Murray struggled in his first two matches against Lukáš Rosol and Jiří Veselý respectively, overcoming both in close three-set encounters to set up a fourth round clash with Canadian Milos Raonic, which he lost in three sets. Murray offered to play with 2012 Wimbledon Doubles champion Jonathan Marray, because Marray was unable to convince anyone to join him on court. It was standing room only for Murray and Marray's first competitive match together, as they won a thrilling doubles clash against Gael Monfils and Juan Monaco only to lose in the second round to the No 2 seeds Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares.

In March, Murray split with coach Ivan Lendl, who had been widely praised for helping Murray achieve his goal of winning Grand Slam titles. At the 2014 Miami Masters, Murray defeated Matthew Ebden, Feliciano Lopez and Jo Wilfried Tsonga but lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.

In the Davis Cup quarterfinals against Italy, he beat Andreas Seppi in his first rubber, then teamed up with Colin Fleming to win the doubles rubber. Murray had never beaten a top ten clay court player on clay, and so in his final singles match, was stunned by Fabio Fognini in straight sets, which took Great Britain to the deciding final rubber. However, in this match his compatriot, James Ward was defeated by Andreas Seppi, also in straight sets, knocking Murray and Great Britain out of the Davis Cup.

Murray next competed at the Madrid Open and following his opening win, over Nicolas Almagro, he dedicated the victory to former player Elena Baltacha. He then lost to qualifier Santiago Giraldo in the following round. Murray then reached the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters where he lost to world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in a tight match in which he had been up a break in the final set. At the French Open, Murray defeated Andrey Golubev and Marinko Matosevic before edging out 28th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber 12–10 in the final set. This was the first time Murray had ever gone beyond 7–5 in a deciding set. He followed this up with a straight sets win over Fernando Verdasco and then recorded a five set victory over Frenchman Gaël Monfils in the quarter-final, which saw Murray rise to world No. 5 and equal his best ever French Open by reaching the semi-finals. However, he subsequently lost to Rafael Nadal in straight sets, winning only 6 games in the match. After losing the 2014 French Open semi-finals to Nadal, Murray appointed former women's world No. 1, and two-times slam titlist, Amelie Mauresmo as his coach in a 'historic move' which made Mauresmo the first woman to coach a top male tennis player.

After strong grass court seasons in 2012 and 2013, Murray was seeded third for the 2014 Wimbledon Championship, behind Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, who were seeded first and second respectively. He began his title defence with straight sets wins over David Goffin and Blaž Rola, defeating the latter for the loss of just two games. Murray continued his good form, defeating Roberto Bautista Agut and Kevin Anderson, the 27th and 20th seeds, again in straight sets to reach his seventh consecutive Wimbledon quarterfinal. Murray's defence then came to a halt as Grigor Dimitrov ended his 17 match winning-streak on the grass of Wimbledon  with a straight sets win, meaning Murray failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2008. After his defeat at the Championships, Murray dropped to 10th in the world, his lowest ranking since 2008.

Prior to the North American hard court swing, Murray announced he was extending his partnership with Amélie Mauresmo until the end of the US Open, but was ideally looking for a long-term deal. He also revealed he had only just returned to a full training schedule following his back surgery last September. Murray reached back-to-back quarter-finals at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Masters, losing to eventual champions Jo Wilfried Tsonga, after being a break up in the decider, and Roger Federer, after being two breaks up in the second set, respectively. He then made it to the quarterfinals of the 2014 US Open, losing to Novak Djokovic, after earning his first top ten win of the year in the previous round against Jo Wilfried Tsonga. This was the first season since 2009 where Murray failed to reach a grand slam final. As a consequence Murray fell outside of the top 10 ranking places for the first time since June 2008.

Murray took a wildcard into the inaugural Shenzhen Open in China, entering as the number 2 seed. Victories over Somdev Devvarman, Lukáš Lacko and Juan Mónaco saw Murray reach his first final of the season, breaking a drought of 14 months following his title at Wimbledon. In the final he faced Tommy Robredo of Spain, the second final between the two. After saving five championship points in the second set tie break, Murray went on to win the title in three sets, Robredo's drop in fitness ultimately proving decisive. He then took his good form into Beijing, where he reached the semifinals before losing to Djokovic in straight sets, however he lost in the third round at the Shanghai Masters to David Ferrer despite being a set up. Following his early exit in Shanghai, Murray took a wildcard into the Vienna Open in an attempt to claim a place at the ATP World Tour Finals. He reached the final, where he once again faced Ferrer, and triumphed in three sets for his second title of the season, and the 30th of his career. Murray defeated Ferrer again in the semi-finals of the Valencia Open to move into his third final in five weeks, and further strengthen his bid for a place at the season finale in London. In a repeat of the Shenzhen Open final, Murray again saved five championship points as he overcame Tommy Robredo in three sets. Murray then went on to reach the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters, where he was eliminated by Djokovic in what was his 23rd match in the space of only 37 days. However, his win over Dimitrov in the third round had already guaranteed him a spot at the ATP World Tour Finals.

At the ATP World Tour Finals, Murray lost his opening round robin match to Kei Nishikori but won his second match against Milos Raonic. However, he lost his final group match against Federer in straight sets and only managed to win one game against him, marking his worst defeat since losing to Djokovic in the 2007 Miami Masters, eliminating him from the tournament. Despite the loss, his late-season run had already propelled him back up the rankings to No. 6 in the world, his best ranking since June.

Following the conclusion of the season, Murray mutually agreed a split with long-term backroom staff, training partner Dani Vallverdu and fitness coach Jez Green. They had been with him for five and seven years respectively but were both reported to have been unhappy at the lack of consultation they had been given about the appointment of Mauresmo. Murray also took part in the inaugural season of the International Premier Tennis League, representing the Manila Mavericks, who had drafted him as an icon player in February. Murray took part in the first three matches of the tournament which were all played in Manila.

2015: Year-end No. 2 and Davis Cup win 

 

Murray began his year by winning an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi. He then played the Hopman Cup with Heather Watson and, despite winning all his singles matches in straight sets, they finished second in their group behind Poland. His first competitive tournament of the year was the Australian Open. He won his opening three matches in straight sets before defeating 11th seed Grigor Dimitrov to reach the quarter-final. Wins over Nick Kyrgios and Tomáš Berdych followed as Murray reached his fourth final at the tournament  and the eighth grand slam final of his career. He lost the final to Novak Djokovic in four sets, however his run to the final saw his return to the top four in the world rankings for the first time in 12 months.

Murray next participated in the Rotterdam Open as the top seed, but he lost in the quarterfinals to Gilles Simon who ended a 12 match losing streak against Murray. Murray then played in the Dubai Championships but suffered another quarterfinal defeat to 18-year-old Borna Ćorić and as a result, Murray slipped to No. 5 in the world rankings behind Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori. Afterwards, Murray played the Davis Cup World Group in Glasgow against the United States. He won both his matches against Donald Young and John Isner, allowing Great Britain to progress to the quarterfinals for the second consecutive time with a 3–2 lead over the United States.

Murray then reached the semifinals of the 2015 Indian Wells, overtaking Tim Henman's record of 496 career wins to have the most career wins for a British man in the Open Era. However, he suffered a 6th consecutive defeat to Djokovic in straight sets. Murray then reached the final of the 2015 Miami Open, recording his 500th career win along the way to become the first British player to have 500 or more wins in the Open Era. He went on to lose the final to Djokovic, this time in three sets. Murray added Jonas Björkman to his coaching staff in March initially on a five-week trail to help out in periods when Mauresmo was unavailable as she only agreed to work with him for 25 weeks. However, at the end of the Australian Open, Mauresmo had informed Murray that she was pregnant and he announced at the end of April, that Björkman would be his main coach for all of the grass court season and all of the US hard court swing, while Mauresmo would only be with the team for Wimbledon.

Murray won his first ATP clay court title at the 2015 BMW Open. He defeated German Philipp Kohlschreiber in three close sets to become the first Briton since Buster Mottram in 1976 to win a tour level clay court event. The following week he reached his second final on clay, at the Madrid Open after recording only his second and third victories over top 10 opposition on clay, against Raonic and Nishikori. In the final, he defeated Rafael Nadal in straight sets for his first Madrid title on clay, and first ever clay court Masters 1000 title. The win was Murray's first over Nadal, Federer or Djokovic since Wimbledon 2013, and his first over Nadal on a clay court.

Murray continued his winning streak at the Italian Open, beating Jeremy Chardy in straight sets in his opening match, but then withdrew due to fatigue after having played nine matches in the space of 10 days. Murray then reached his third semifinal at the French Open, but lost to Djokovic in five sets after threatening a comeback from two sets to love down, ending his 15 match winning streak on clay. To start his grass court campaign, Murray went on to win a record tying fourth Queen's Club title, defeating the big serving South African Kevin Anderson in straight sets in the final. At the third grand slam of the year, the 2015 Wimbledon Championships, Murray dropped only two sets on his way to setting up a semifinal clash with Roger Federer. Many people saw Murray as the favourite due to his recent form, however he lost to the Swiss veteran in straight sets, gaining only one break point in the entire match.

After Wimbledon, Murray returned to Queen's Club, to play for Great Britain against France in their Davis Cup quarterfinal tie. Great Britain went 1–0 down when James Ward lost to Gilles Simon in straight sets, however Murray levelled the tie with a victory against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Murray then teamed up with his brother Jamie to win the doubles rubber, coming back from a set down to defeat Tsonga and Nicolas Mahut in four sets, giving Britain a crucial 2–1 lead going into the final day. He then faced Simon in the fourth rubber and after initially being a set and a break down, he suddenly found his form again towards the end of the second set and eventually won in four sets, winning 12 of the last 15 games in the process . With a 3–1 lead over France, this resulted in Great Britain reaching their first Davis Cup semifinal since 1981.

Murray next participated at the Citi Open, as the top seed and favourite to win the tournament. However, he suffered a defeat in his first match, losing to world No. 53 Teymuraz Gabashvili in a final set tiebreak, despite serving for the match. Despite the loss, Murray said that it was his first hard court match in over four months and he was happy with how he moved and did certain things on the court. In doubles, he partnered Daniel Nestor, however they lost in the first round to the fourth seeds, Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea, also in three sets. He bounced back from this defeat by winning the Rogers Cup, defeating Tsonga and Nishikori in the quarter-finals and semifinals respectively. He then prevailed in the final against Djokovic in three sets. This broke his eight-match, two-year losing streak against Djokovic, his last win against him being in the finals of Wimbledon in 2013. Winning the title, he also surpassed Federer in terms of ranking, becoming the world number 2 for the first time in over two years. In doubles, he partnered Leander Paes and they won their first match against Chardy and Anderson, but were then defeated by Murray's brother Jamie and John Peers in two sets.

In the second Master Series tournament of the US Hard Court season, the Cincinnati Masters, Murray defeated veteran Mardy Fish in the second round, and then beat both Grigor Dimitrov and Richard Gasquet in three-set matches, having to come from a set down on both occasions, while Dimitrov had served for the match in the deciding set. In the semifinal, he lost to defending champion Roger Federer in straight sets, and after Federer went on to win the tournament, this result saw Murray return to the No. 3 ranking and seeding for the US Open. At the US Open, Murray beat Nick Kyrgios in four sets before beating Adrian Mannarino in five sets after being two sets down, equaling Federer for winning eight matches from two sets to love down. He then beat Thomaz Bellucci in straight sets but suffered a defeat in the fourth round to Kevin Anderson in four sets. This ended Murray's five-year run of 18 consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinals  since his third round loss to Stan Wawrinka in the 2010 US Open.

Playing against Australia in the semifinals of the Davis Cup World Group in Glasgow, Murray won both his singles rubbers in straight sets, against Thanasi Kokkinakis and Bernard Tomic. He also partnered his brother Jamie, and they won in five sets against the pairing of Sam Groth and Lleyton Hewitt, the results guiding Great Britain to the Davis Cup final for the first time since 1978 with a 3–2 lead over Australia.

After losing in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters to Djokovic in straight sets, Murray reached the finals of the Paris Masters for the lost of just one set, with victories against Borna Ćorić, David Goffin and David Ferrer. After a three set win over Richard Gasquet, he joined Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as the only players to reach the semi-finals  at all nine of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments, and also ensured that he compiled his best match record in a single season. He then lost the final to Djokovic again in straight sets.

As the world No. 2, Murray participated in the ATP World Tour Finals in London, and was drawn into the Ilie Năstase group with David Ferrer, Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka. He went out in the round-robin stage, after defeating Ferrer and losing to Nadal and Wawrinka. However, after Federer failed to win the tournament, he finished a season as world No. 2 for the first time.

In the Davis Cup final, Murray's victory over Ruben Bemelmans in straight sets pulled Great Britain level in the final after Kyle Edmund had lost the first singles rubber, played on indoor clay courts at Ghent. He then partnered his brother Jamie in a four-set victory over the pairing of Steve Darcis and David Goffin, before defeating Goffin again in the reverse singles on Sunday, thus ensuring a 3-1 victory for Great Britain, their first Davis Cup title since 1936 and their tenth overall. Murray also became only the third person since the current Davis Cup format was introduced to win all eight of his singles rubbers in a Davis Cup season, after John McEnroe and Mats Wilander.

National representation

Davis Cup

   

Murray made his Davis Cup debut for Great Britain in the Europe/Africa Zone Group 1 2nd Round against Israel in 2005 at 17 years of age, the youngest ever player for Great Britain. Murray has played 27 singles and 11 doubles rubbers for Great Britain, with a 25-2 record at singles. In 2015 he played an important part in leading Great Britain to the final of the World Group for the first time since 1978, winning both his singles rubbers in the matches against the USA, France and Australia. In the final, Murray defeated Belgium's David Goffin to win the Davis Cup for Great Britain, 79 years after the national team's last win.

Olympics 

  

Murray represented Great Britain at his maiden Olympics in Beijing 2008. He competed in the singles and doubles competitions. Despite being seeded sixth in the singles competition, he was eliminated in the first round by Chinese Taipei's Yen-hsun Lu. Along with his brother Jamie, he advanced to the second round of the doubles competition with a win over the Canadian pairing of Daniel Nestor and Frédéric Niemeyer. The Murray brothers were eliminated in the second round by France's Arnaud Clément and Michael Llodra.

At the London 2012 Olympics, Murray competed in the singles and mixed doubles, partnering Laura Robson. In the singles, he won the Gold Medal, including straight-set victories over Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals and Roger Federer in the final, four weeks after Federer had beaten him in on the same court in the Wimbledon final. He also won the silver medal in the mixed doubles, losing to the Belarusian pairing of Max Mirnyi and Victoria Azarenka.

Rivalries

Murray vs. Djokovic 

  

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have met 30 times with Djokovic leading 21–9. Djokovic leads 3–0 on clay, 18–7 on hard courts, and Murray leads 2–0 on grass. The two are almost exactly the same age, with Murray being only a week older than Djokovic. They went to training camp together, and Murray won the first match they ever played as teenagers. The pair have met 13 times in finals, with Djokovic leading 7–6. Eight of the finals were at ATP Masters 1000 events, and they are tied at 4–4. They have met in five Major finals: The 2011 Australian Open, the 2012 US Open, the 2013 Australian Open, the 2013 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2015 Australian Open. Djokovic has won in Australia three times, and Murray emerged as the victor at the US Open and Wimbledon. The former of Murray's victories was the longest ever final at the US Open, tying with the 1988 final played between Ivan Lendl and Mats Wilander at 4 hours and 53 minutes, whilst the latter was notable for being the first home triumph in men's singles at Wimbledon since 1936.

They also played a nearly five-hour long semifinal match in the 2012 Australian Open, which Djokovic won 7–5 in the fifth set after Murray led 2 sets to 1. Murray and Djokovic met again in 2012 at the London 2012 Olympic Games, with Murray winning in straight sets. During the final of the 2012 Shanghai Masters, Murray held five championship point opportunities in the second set, however Djokovic saved each of them, forcing a deciding set. He eventually prevailed to win his first Shanghai Masters title, ending Murray's 12–0 winning streak at the event. The three set matches they played in Rome and Shanghai in 2011 and 2012 respectively were voted the ATP World Tour Match of the Year for each respective season. Due to the tight competition between 2008 and 2013, many saw this as the emerging rivalry, as the two are both in their prime years, and are both likely to be playing for at least another five years. However, Djokovic went on to dominate the rivalry after the 2013 Wimbledon final, winning 8 matches in a row, until Murray ended the streak in the final of the 2015 Rogers Cup.

Murray vs. Federer

   

Andy Murray and Roger Federer have met 25 times with Federer leading 14–11. Federer leads 12–10 on hard courts, 2–1 on grass, and they have never met on clay. After Federer won the first professional match they played, Murray dominated the rivalry from 2006 until 2014 with Federer beating Murray three straight times to reverse the lead at the 2014 ATP World Tour Finals. Federer leads 5–3 in finals, having won each of their Grand Slam Final meetings at the 2008 US Open and Federer coming out victorious in London in 2009, 2010, 2012, and in 2014.

In August 2012, Murray met Federer in the final of the London 2012 Olympics at Wimbledon Centre Court, just four weeks after the 2012 Wimbledon Final, in which Federer had defeated Murray to win his record-tying 7th title at the All-England Club. Murray defeated Federer in straight sets to win the gold medal, denying Federer a Career Golden Slam. In 2013 Murray beat Federer for the first time in a Major in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, prevailing in five sets after Federer had come back twice from a set down. Their last grand slam meeting was at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships semifinals, where a dominant Federer defeated Murray in straight sets, earning a place in his 10th Wimbledon final. Murray is one of only three players to have recorded 10 or more victories over Federer, the other two being Nadal and Djokovic. Their most recent meeting took place at the 2015 Cincinnati Masters semifinals, with Federer winning the match in two close sets, recording his fifth consecutive victory over Murray.

Murray vs. Nadal

   

Andy Murray has played against Rafael Nadal on 22 occasions since 2007, with Nadal leading 16–6. Nadal leads 6–1 on clay, 3–0 on grass and 7–5 on hard courts. The pair regularly meet at Grand Slam level, with nine out of their twenty-one meetings coming in slams, with Nadal leading 7–2 . Eight of these nine appearances have been at Quarter-final and Semi-final level. They have never met in a Slam final, however, Murray leads 3–1 in ATP finals, with Nadal winning at Indian Wells in 2009 and Murray winning in Rotterdam the same year, Tokyo in 2011, and at Madrid in 2015.

Murray lost three consecutive Grand Slam semifinals to Nadal in 2011 from the French Open to the US Open. Of the past 20 Grand Slam drawsheets, they have been drawn in the same half 16 times. The pair had not met for three years since the final of the 2011 Japan Open until the quarter finals of the 2014 Rome Masters, although they were scheduled to meet in the semi-final of the 2012 Miami Masters before Nadal withdrew with injury. At the semifinal stage of the 2014 French Open, Nadal triumphed in a dominant straight sets win for the loss of just 6 games. In their most recent meeting, Murray beat Nadal for the first time on clay, and the first time in a Masters 1000 final, at the Madrid Open in 2015.

Playing style

  

Murray is a defensive baseliner, equipped with an all-court game, and professional tennis coach Paul Annacone stated that Murray "may be the best counterpuncher on tour today." His strengths include groundstrokes with low error rate, the ability to anticipate and react, and his transition from defence to offence with speed, which enables him to hit winners from defensive positions. His playing style has been likened to that of Miloslav Mečíř. Murray also has one of the best two-handed backhands on the tour, with dynamic stroke execution. Tim Henman has stated that Murray may now have the best lob in the game, succeeding Lleyton Hewitt. In addition to this, Murray is a good volleyer and executes a fine drop shot, although his drop shots are sometimes a drawback against faster players like Roger Federer.

Murray's tactics usually involve passive exchanges from the baseline. He is capable of injecting sudden pace into his groundstrokes to surprise his opponents who are used to the slow rally. Murray is also one of the top returners in the game, often able to block back fast serves with his excellent reach and ability to anticipate. For this reason, Murray is rarely aced. Murray is known for being one of the most intelligent tacticians on the court, often constructing points. Murray is most proficient on a fast surface, ultimately winning his first clay titles during 2015 at Munich and Madrid. While Murray's first serve is a major weapon for him, reaching speeds of 130 mph or higher on some occasions, along with an inconsistent second serve. Since his 2011 season and Ivan Lendl's coaching, he has worked to improve his consistency, second serve, returns and mental game, resulting in a more offensive game.

Endorsements and equipment

  

In 2009 German manufacturer Adidas and Murray signed a five-year-deal worth £30 million. This included wearing their range of tennis shoes. The contract with Adidas allowed Murray to keep his shirt sleeve sponsors Shiatzy Chen, Royal Bank of Scotland and Highland Spring. Before he was signed by Adidas in late 2009, he wore Fred Perry apparel. At the end of their contract together Adidas decided not to re-sign with Murray, and he began a 4-year partnership with athletic apparel company Under Armour in December 2014, reportedly worth $25 million. Murray uses Head rackets, and regularly appears in advertisements for the brand.

In June 2012, the Swiss watch manufacturer Rado announced that Murray had signed a deal to wear their D-Star 200 model.

Charitable work

  

Murray is a founding member of the Malaria No More UK Leadership Council and helped launch the charity in 2009 with David Beckham. Footage from the launch at Wembley Stadium can be seen on YouTube and . Murray also made 'Nets Needed', a short public service announcement, for the charity to help raise awareness and funds to help in the fight against malaria. Murray has also taken part in several charity tennis events, including the Rally for Relief events that took place prior to the start of the 2011 Australian Open.

In June 2013, Murray teamed up with former British number 1 Tim Henman for a charity doubles match against Murray's coach and eight-time grand slam champion Ivan Lendl, and world No. 6 Tomáš Berdych at the Queen's Club in London. The event named Rally Against Cancer was organised to raise money for Royal Marsden Cancer Charity after his best friend and fellow British player Ross Hutchins was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma. The event took place following the final day of competitive play at the AEGON Championships, on Sunday 16 June. Subsequently, following his victory at the tournament, Murray donated his entire prize money pot to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

In June 2014, following the death of Elena Baltacha, Murray featured in an event known as 'Rally for Bally.' Murray played at Queen's Club alongside Victoria Azarenka, Martina Hingis, Heather Watson and his brother Jamie. The event raised money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and the Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis. Children from Baltacha's academy took to the court to play alongside Murray. As a result of his various charitable exploits, Murray was awarded the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award for 2014.

Image

National identity

   

Murray identifies himself as Scottish and British. His national identity has often been commented on by the media. Whilst making a cameo appearance on comedy show Outnumbered, Murray is asked whether he is British or Scottish, to which he responds "It depends if I'm winning". Much of the discussion about Murray's national identity began prior to Wimbledon 2006, when he was quoted as saying he would "support whoever England is playing" at the 2006 World Cup. English ex-tennis player Tim Henman confirmed that the remarks had been made in jest and were only in response to Murray being teased by journalist Des Kelly and Henman about Scotland's failure to qualify.

Murray initially refused to endorse either side of the debate in the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, citing the abuse he had received after his comments in 2006. Just before the referendum, Murray tweeted a message that was considered by the media to be supportive of independence.

Other  

 

In 2006, there was uproar after a match with Kenneth Carlsen. Having been given a warning for racket abuse, he went on in the post-match interview to state that he and Carlsen had "played like women" during the first set. Murray was booed for the remark, but explained later that the comment had been intended as a jocular response to what Svetlana Kuznetsova had said at the Hopman Cup. A few months later, Murray was fined for swearing at the umpire during a Davis Cup doubles rubber with Serbia and Montenegro Davis Cup team. Murray refused to shake hands with the umpire at the end of the match.

In 2007, Murray suggested that tennis had a match-fixing problem, stating that everyone knows it goes on, in the wake of the investigation surrounding Nikolay Davydenko. Both Davydenko and Rafael Nadal questioned his comments, but Murray responded that his words had been taken out of context.

Tipster Street.