Kim Sears reveals story about first time she watched Andy Murray play

Andy Murray‘s close friends and family, including his mother Judy and partner Kim Sears, have paid tribute to the British tennis star after he played the final match of his illustrious career on Thursday afternoon.

The three-time Grand Slam champion cut an emotional figure after he and Dan Evans were knocked out of the men’s doubles at the Paris Olympics yesterday evening, after suffering defeat to America’s Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul.

The 37-year-old, who has battled through several injuries this year, had confirmed that he would be hanging up his racket following the 2024 Games.

But several key figures, who have all played a huge role in his career have been recounting anecdotes from his career including his wife, Sears, who recounted watching him for the first time at the 2005 US Open, where Murray threw up on court.

‘I first saw him play live that summer and his first match was against Andre Pavel,’ Sears said in an interview with the Lawn Tennis Association published on YouTube, recounting his three-set victory over the Romanian.

Andy Murray’s (pictured) glittering tennis career came to an end on Thursday night in Paris

Several members of his family and friends have been paying tribute to Murray, including his wife Kim Sears (pictured)

Sears, the daughter of tennis coach Nigel Sears, first met Murray back in 2005, before the pair were married in 2015 in his home town of Dunblane.   

‘It was a five-set epic and he [Murray] projectile vomited on court, right in front of me – which was an interesting start,’ she added. 

‘Can’t believe I stuck around after that!’

Sears also said: ‘The following February we went to San Jose together where he ended up winning his first title. I was doing my A-levels so I think we were both 18. But we went on our own and it just felt like it was us against the world in that moment.’

Murray has gone on to establish himself as one of the greatest British tennis players of all time, with the Scot, who picked up the sport at the age of three, going on to pick up 46 ATP Tour titles, winning the men’s singles at the US Open in 2012 before going on to be crowned Wimbledon champion in 2013 and 2016.  

Murray (right) and Dan Evans (left) were beaten by Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul at the Paris Olympics

Sears revealed that Murray (pictured) threw up on the court during the first time she watched him play back in 2005

Sears (pictured) has regularly been seen cheering on her husband throughout his career

The pair were married in Scotland back in 2015, having met back in 2005, before Sears (right) went to watch Murray (left) at the 2005 US Open

His mother, Judy, also humorously ‘blamed’ Nadal for giving her son the hunger to reach the top of the sport, recounting how the pair once played racket ball together while he was playing at a tournament in Spain while he was 16. 

‘When he went off to Andorra to play for Great Britain in the European Team Championships under-16, Judy said.

‘Rafa [Rafael Nadal] was playing for Spain and the two of them went off to play racket ball after the final.

‘Andy came on the phone after that game of racket ball and it was: “Would you pay for an international call from Andorra.”

‘Of course, immediately I’m thinking: “He’s lost his passport and his wallet.” Most boys don’t phone very often.

‘So I went: “What is it? What’s happened?”

‘And he said about playing racket ball with Rafa. He said: “He doesn’t go to school. He trains at the tennis academy. 

‘”He gets to train in the sunshine. And what have I got? You and my brother at the university.”

‘So I completely blame Rafa for this!’ she added smiling. 

Nadal and Murray played eachother 24 times during their professional careers, with the Spaniard winning 17 of those matches. 

His mother, Judy (pictured) also blamed Rafael Nadal for his success over the years, after the pair played racket ball together when they were younger

Nadal (left) and Murray (right) played racket ball while the pair played at a junior tournament in Spain

Nadal said on Murray’s retirement, per to The Athletic: “We know each other since we were small kids. He’s one year younger. When we were playing by teams — Spain, Great Britain — he was on the team one year younger. We know each other very well. We grow together on the tour, even when he arrived a little bit later than me.

“Andy had an amazing career. I think in some way… I mean, I don’t like to say he deserves more or less because, at the end, if I say I deserve more if I don’t have injuries, no? No, I don’t, because I had the injuries, no? He had a lot of finals. He was an amazing player who probably played in a difficult moment because he shared the tour at the prime time of Novak, Roger and myself.