Judy Murray has admitted she tried to put Prince William and Kate off a tennis career for their young son, Prince George. The Scottish tennis coach made the revelation after collecting her OBE from William on Friday. She told the Prince it was "a very difficult journey" and warned him off any plans to make George the next Andy Murray. "He (William) was saying about Prince George, Catherine trying to teach Prince George how to play tennis and how I think she had said last week that she wants him to be the next Andy Murray," said Judy. "I'm sure she was joking. I was trying to put them off that. I said it's a very difficult journey."
The tennis coach and mother to Andy and Jamie Murray was recognised for her services to tennis, women in sport and charity. Judy, 58, looked delighted as she spoke to the Prince and shook his hand. The pair will have had lots to talk about, no doubt; William is an eager tennis fan, and their meeting came just days after Judy took part in a children's tennis session with Kate, also an avid tennis player.
© Photo: PAJudy Murray collected her OBE from Prince William
Judy is the third member of her family to be honoured by the Queen. Her son Andy, who has just welcomed his second child with wife Kim Sears, was given a knighthood in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to tennis and charity. Older brother Jamie, 31, was also appointed an OBE in the 2016 Birthday Honours List. When Judy found out she was included in the list, she said: "I do what I love and I love what I do, so I feel very lucky to have been given this honour. I'll keep working hard to grow tennis and to promote women's sport across the UK."
The former Great Britain Fed Cup coach has had a highly successful career, notably training her two Wimbledon-winning sons. It's an exciting time for the Murrays as Andy recently became a father again to a baby girl. The news was announced this week, although the baby's name has yet to be revealed. Andy and his wife Kim, 29, also have a young daughter named Sophia, who was born in 2016.
© Photo: PAThe coach was recognised for her services to tennis and women in sport
The couple announced Kim's pregnancy in July, with the tennis champion saying that they were "obviously very happy and looking forward" to welcoming a second child. Andy has previously opened up about fatherhood, saying that "the best moment of my life would be when my daughter was born". He added: "It ended up being a good year on court, but it was a better one off it for sure."
