Judy Murray has explained why she didn't fly to Rio to watch her son Andy compete in the men's single Olympics tennis final. Judy chose to cheer on her younger son from the comfort of her home in Scotland, where she could "shout at the TV" as much as she wanted.
On Sunday Andy made history when he became the first ever tennis player to win two consecutive Olympic singles gold medals. The 29-year-old beat Argentina's Juan Martín del Potro after a gruelling four-hour match.
"I spoke to him after the match very, very briefly," said Judy. "He was exhausted but absolutely just delighted because it's what he set out to do and I think anything other than gold would have been a disappointment for him."
© Photo: Getty ImagesJudy Murray admitted that she didn't go to the Olympics because she finds it "hectic"
"It's just the whole thing with the Olympics from getting the chance to be the flag bearer and then to come away with a gold, it was absolutely perfect for him," she told ITV's Lorraine.
The tennis coach explained her absence, saying: "Well I don't go so much nowadays. It's very hectic, the Olympics. It's not like going to one of the normal tennis tournaments when you kind of know where you're going and you're looked after.
"It's quite tricky and I didn't fancy the whole thing with the language barrier, not being able to make yourself understood. I kind of struggle with that a bit, so I just decided I wasn't going to go. I decided way back at the beginning of the year."
© Photo: Getty Images"He was exhausted but absolutely just delighted because it's what he set out to do," said Judy
Judy, who will be supporting Andy at the US Open, watched the match by herself without the sound on.
"Actually it's very difficult listening to what the commentators are saying about your child, so it's actually easier to watch it just drowning them out," she said. "It's much better for me if I'm on my own because I can shout at the TV as much as I want and yeah, I prefer to watch it by myself."
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe tennis coach watched the match without any sound on so she could "drown out" the commentators
Also noticeably absent from the match were Andy's wife Kim and the couple's five-month-old daughter Sophia, who will have been cheering on the tennis star from their home in the UK.
Andy has yet to comment on his Olympic gold on social media, although his proud mum Judy did tweet a photo of her son on TV, writing: "Warrior."
