Judy Murray has admitted she will always feel let down that Scotland never fully built on the extraordinary success of her sons, Andy and Jamie.
Speaking candidly, Murray reflected on the collapse of her long-running Park of Keir project, a £20 million plan that was meant to create a national tennis and leisure centre inspired by her sons’ global achievements. After 11 years of planning, spiralling costs and drawn-out discussions with authorities forced her to abandon it.
“That was more than a decade of my life, and a lot of my own money,” she said. “It should never have been up to me to create a centre of national importance for Scotland. I wish I’d just built a simple barn to work in.”
The centre, designed to make tennis, pickleball and padel accessible to all ages, was supposed to be run by her charity, the Murray Play Foundation. But when a £5 million funding gap emerged and planning delays dragged on, Judy decided to walk away.
While critics called it a wasted opportunity, Andy Murray’s reaction was blunt: “No surprise.” Others, including former coach Mark Petchey, described it as a huge chance Scotland had missed.
For Judy, the disappointment goes beyond Park of Keir. She worries about where Scotland’s next generation of top players will come from. “Other countries, like Greece, seized the moment when their stars were at the top,” she explained. “We should have kids everywhere playing at a strong level because of Andy and Jamie’s success. Instead, many still have to leave Scotland to find proper training and coaches.”
Despite some progress in indoor facilities, she points out major gaps in cities like Perth, Dundee and Inverness. “Without year-round courts, coaches can’t make a living. That lack of infrastructure still frustrates me.”
Yet, Judy hasn’t stopped championing young talent. Her latest initiative, Learn to Lead, encourages older girls in primary school to run tennis sessions for younger ones, promoting both leadership and sport. It’s her way of keeping girls engaged at a time when 1.3 million teenagers have dropped out of exercise altogether.
There are some bright spots, such as 23-year-old Jacob Fearnley, who broke into the world’s top 50 and impressed at Wimbledon. Judy is also excited about Charlie Robertson, who finished in the ITF junior top 10 and is now training in the U.S.
Still, the lingering question remains: will Scotland ever produce another Andy or Jamie? Judy isn’t so sure.
“I’ll always be disappointed we didn’t make the most of that moment,” she admits. “But I’ll keep doing what I can, even if one day it just means building my own barn.”
