Jamie Murray has etched his name into tennis history by becoming the first British player ever to compete in 1,000 tour-level doubles matches.
The milestone came at the BNP Paribas Open on Monday, where the 39-year-old Scot partnered with Adam Pavlasek to defeat Ariel Behar and Robert Galloway. Murray now joins Marcelo Melo as the only active players to achieve the remarkable feat.
Reflecting on the occasion, Murray admitted he hadn’t realized how close he was to the record until recently. “I thought I’d only played about 800 matches, so it was a pleasant surprise,” he said after the win.
He later shared a post from the ATP Tour celebrating the achievement, writing: “I feel very privileged to have played this sport at the highest level since 2007. The tour has grown so much, and it’s amazing to still compete at these incredible events alongside the best players in the world.”
Congratulatory messages quickly poured in. Former doubles partner Bruno Soares wrote: “Well done my man. Happy to be part of so many,” while ex-footballer Ally McCoist simply added: “Superb mate.”
Murray’s journey began 19 years ago in Nottingham, when he teamed up with his younger brother Andy for his very first tour-level match. While Andy went on to achieve global fame in singles, Jamie quietly built a legendary doubles career of his own.
Over two decades, he became Britain’s first world No. 1 in men’s doubles, captured 34 ATP titles, and claimed two Grand Slam victories in 2016 at the Australian Open and US Open.
Despite his success, Murray has often lived in Andy’s shadow. Speaking during Wimbledon 2015, he admitted: “People usually come to talk to me because they want to talk about Andy, which is fair enough. That’s how it goes, and I accept that.”
Raised in Dunblane by their devoted mother Judy, the Murray brothers developed a fierce rivalry from a young age. Jamie once recalled losing a junior final to Andy: “He was teasing me about it on the way home, so I hit his hand with the armrest. His nail never grew back properly. A little reminder for him not to mess with me.”
This milestone further cements Jamie Murray’s place in tennis history—not just as Andy’s older brother, but as one of the greatest doubles specialists of his generation
