ABSTRACT
In 2013, Andy Murray won Wimbledon; after a 77-year wait, there was once again a British Wimbledon Men’s Singles Champion. As Murray sealed his historic victory, the television cameras immediately panned to his supporters’ box looking to capture the reactions of his coach, trainers, and now wife. But, most importantly, they wanted to see Andy’s mother’s reaction. Known as “Tennis’s most famous mother,” (Brown, 2015), Judy Murray has been Andy’s most loyal and visible supporter throughout his professional career. She has been there when he has triumphed and when he has struggled, and her very visible reactions have been shared online and in print media around the world. However, when Andy won Wimbledon and ascended to the supporters’ box to embrace his team there was one person he almost forgot. Had it not been for the shouts of “What about your mum!” from the crowd, Andy might well have descended back to the court without acknowledging the enduring and critical support of his mother. In today’s society, when many athletes use trophy presentations as a platform from which they can thank their family for their never-ending support and parents are elevated to near celebrity status if their children succeed on the international stage, such a slip from Murray could not go unnoticed. Newspaper article after newspaper article gave space to Andy’s “near miss” (e.g., Curtis, 2013) and even a year after the event, as the build up to Murray’s title defense began, it was still being discussed (e.g., Malnick, 2014).
