Andy Murray is still ‘our champion’ – and his response to Wimbledon controversy shows why

The draw did indeed hand Murray a potential meeting with one of the tournament’s top seeds in the opening rounds, in the shape of Stefanos Tsitsipas, but Murray will have reason to believe that he can pass that test. “I feel a bit nervous,” Murray also admitted, “which is always a really positive sign to me when I feel that way. Hopefully that bodes well for the event.”

The two-time champion’s build-up to Wimbledon has been done in Murray’s own way, favouring Challenger events in Britain rather than the higher rankings points available on the ATP Tour. While Djokovic was winning last month’s French Open, becoming the first male player to win 23 grand slam titles, Murray was battling away in the final of the Surbiton Trophy – a stratosphere away from the prestige of Roland Garros and the tennis history Djokovic had created in Paris. In its own way, it was fitting.

Andy Murray celebrates his first Wimbledon crown in 2013

After winning the title in Surbiton, Murray headed straight to his next tournament in Nottingham when he received a text from his wife Kim: “‘I’m just watching Novak on the news,” it read, “and I’m so proud that you’re still grinding it out in Challengers and still working as hard as you know you have ever done.” Murray admitted he might have compared himself with Djokovic when he was younger, and the diverging paths their careers took post-2016. “Whether I win another grand slam or winning Challengers is the peak for me now, I’m okay with that because I’m doing what I love to do,” Murray reflected.

In a sporting landscape that is driven by the pursuit of money no matter its source, Murray’s humility and thorough decency continues to stand out. It came up again this week as Murray was asked to comment on a controversial poster of former champions Wimbledon had commissioned before the tournament – Murray’s brother and uncle had criticised the exclusion of the only British man to win the Championships since the 1930s. “It was a disaster,” Murray said, but he wasn’t talking about himself. Instead, Murray highlighted the lack of prominence given to female players. “Me not being on it is certainly not a problem,” he added.

Murray has always had that awareness. It is one of his greatest qualities, whether correcting reporters when achievements of female players have been overlooked, or in his groundbreaking hiring of a female coach in Amelie Mauresmo after he won Wimbledon. It was a side of him that grew from his first title at the All England Club. He carried it well then, it’s an even more comfortable fit at 36, with his children now at the age where they can all come to his matches for the first time.

Andy Murray aims to roll back the years at Wimbledon 10 years after his greatest moment

Murray and the image of the family man has been evident during this grass-court campaign and at the Nottingham Open, when they appeared in the crowd to surprise him on Father’s Day. According to Murray, they did not show much interest even when they did get the chance to watch, and he told the BBC he had been heckled by his three-year-old son, who shouted “rubbish, rubbish!” whenever Murray hit the net. They may not be invited onto Centre Court on Tuesday, even if the tournament rules allowed it, which they don’t.

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Which is a shame, particularly this year and at a Wimbledon that will bring a celebration of Murray: of what he achieved for us, and of the person and player he is. The end is coming, too: Murray has an idea in his head for when he will stop. Not this year, but at a time when he can “finish on my terms, when I’m fit and healthy and still competing at a good level”.

He couldn’t, could he? Murray’s faces Ryan Peniston in his opening match on Tuesday and it was pointed out to him that the last time he played a fellow Brit in the first round at Wimbledon he won the tournament. “Brilliant. Great. Can we start celebrating?” Murray smiled. But it’s not about that: coming back was for him, it still is, but ten years on from his greatest day Murray has never felt more like our champion.

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