Andy Murray christens new Queen’s court as tournament ushers in long-overdue new era

Two weeks on from Rafael Nadal’s triumphant return to Roland-Garros, another grand slam champion returned to the site of his greatest success.

Andy Murray’s return to Queen’s Club, where he won a record five titles, was much more low-key. There was no emotional speech, just some banter about his growing prowess at golf; a brief knockabout with tournament director and former doubles partner Laura Robson, and two youth ambassadors, 10-year-old Gloria and seven-year-old Jay, instead of a photo opportunity with the rest of the ‘Big Four’. “My tennis is diabolical nowadays,” he joked, “apologies for what you’re about to witness!”

“This tournament and this court has had many special moments for me,” he added. “It was my most successful event, I always loved coming back. I’m very grateful for whoever it was who decided to name the stadium!”

The Scot won his first ATP Tour match here in June 2005, a straight-sets win over Santiago Ventura. And he won his 1,000th ATP match here nearly two decades later, against Alexei Popyrin last year. He was forced to retire with a back injury in the second round against Jordan Thompson, denying him the sendoff he wanted.

A year on, he returned to inaugurate the Andy Murray Arena and to kick off the first women’s tournament in 52 years, an occasion he described as “brilliant”. Murray revealed he was coached by the last women’s winner at Queen’s, 1973 champion Olga Morozova, when he was 12 and 13; the Russian too will be recognised at this week’s tournament as it celebrates icons past and present. “This court has had many great matches on it. I think it’s a great chance for the women to showcase themselves out here,” Murray said.

Murray’s return was about more than honouring his storied history at the tournament; it was about ushering in a new era for it.

One of the Scot’s most notable off-court qualities has long been his championing of women’s tennis, always done in a matter-of-fact, understated way. From being the first top male player to employ a female coach – a choice which sparked derision at the time – to his quick corrections of sexist questions in press conferences and interviews, Murray was a constant champion of parity between the sexes during his lengthy career.

He said working with coach Amelie Mauresmo “opened [his] eyes” to the appalling abuse women in the sport face, with the Frenchwoman slated online after each of his losses. “Inequality is something I started to see. And become passionate about,” he wrote in a column for L’Equipe in 2015.

Things have only worsened since Mauresmo’s spell as his coach, with female players routinely subject to a barrage of hideous abuse online after every loss, often from gamblers, and several the victims of harrassment, stalking, and threatening behaviour.

Several female players, from Ons Jabeur to Caroline Garcia, have been open about online harassment; Emma Raducanu shared her horrifying ideal being stalked across Asia earlier this year.

But in Murray’s absence there does not appear to be an equivalent figure on the ATP Tour, someone who will draw attention to issues rather than shying away from them.

After being told he was the first person to win two Olympic medals, after defending his London title in Rio, he deadpanned, “I think Venus and Serena have won about four each”. His response to a journalist saying Sam Querrey, who reached the Wimbledon last four in 2017, was “the first US player to reach a major semi-final since 2009,” was swift and decisive: first “male player”.

His contributions to the topic were significant in a sport which rarely sees top male players offering their support to their female counterparts, and in which full gender equality remains a long way away.

That was only emphasised this past week at the French Open. The annual debate over women being shut out of the primetime night session on Court Philippe-Chatrier, and exclusively occupying the midday slot of death, reignited this year. But there was no change to the status quo despite the uproar and a defensive press conference called to address the issue.

In other avenues progress is being made. The LTA recently announced that women competing at Queens’ and Eastbourne would receive the same prize money as the men by 2029, ahead of a WTA target of parity at all tournaments by 2033.

The sport has made leaps and bounds in advancing women’s tennis, even just over the course of Murray’s career – although it has sometimes felt like a case of one step forward, two steps back.

Murray’s appearance at Queen’s was a tribute to the tournament’s greatest player, in a week which opens the door to a female player to make history of her own in west London.

So it seems fitting that the now-mixed tournament should name its show court after an icon of British tennis and a champion of women’s sport, on the day that Queen’s takes a major step in the direction of full equality. What better way to advance Murray’s legacy?