5 tennis players who come from sporting backgrounds

Andy Murray

Generations: Murray’s mother Judy with her own father, Scottish professional footballer and tennis player Roy Erskine

Andy Murray is well in line to become the next World No. 1, and is now within a semi-final finish at the Paris Masters to actually taking that title from reigning top-ranked player Novak Djokovic.

The ace has been playing the sport since he was a toddler – but he comes from strong sporting stock – as far as three generations before. That Murray’s mother, Judy, is a former sportswoman, is well-known, but Judy plays a gamut of sports – tennis among them. She, like her son, grew up in Scotland, where, in her time, there were no indoor tennis courts for her to play on.

As a result, Judy Murray (nee Erskine) chose to play tennis in the summer and badminton in the winter. Even a presence on the WTA Tour at one point, Judy Erskine won as many as 64 titles – but gave up her professional tennis career after being robbed in Barcelona.

Incidentally, her son, at 15-years-old, would be sent to the same city to properly train in tennis.

But the Murrays’ sporting roots go even further back – Judy’s father, Roy Erskine, was a professional footballer himself, albeit one who was also a very keen tennis player. Erskine had intended to be a professional in both sports, but was prohibited from pursuing tennis after becoming a professional footballer.

Erskine was a constant presence in the Scottish Football League.

Through his maternal side, Andy Murray has very strong sporting roots – and these also reflect in older brother Jamie, who is a former World No. 1 in the doubles.