With Wimbledon now in full swing, memories abound of Andy Murray.
Particularly of Murray’s sensational season in 2016, where he won a second Wimbledon title and rose to World No 1 amid a slew of other remarkable achievements.
It was the season where Murray elevated himself above Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic as the best tennis player on the planet. Bar none.
It will forever stand as one of the greatest years in the history of Scottish sport, by the greatest sportsman this country has ever produced.
Yet, as we now reach the ten-year anniversary, the failure to build an appropriate legacy in honour of Murray comes sharply into focus.
Earlier this week, a report by Daily Mail Sport’s Hugh MacDonald, the most redoubtable sports writer in the land and long-time chronicler of Murray’s career, laid bare the paucity of it all.
Andy Murray celebrates his second Wimbledon title in 2016
Beyond a museum in their home city, there is nothing to honour the achievements of Murray and his brother, Jamie.
Djokovic has a centre of excellence in Serbia. Nadal has an academy in Spain. Likewise, Federer has a national facility in Switzerland.
Where is the Scottish equivalent with Murray? After a spellbinding and genuinely historic career, his home nation has responded not with gratitude and the creation of legacy, but with total indifference.
There should be a national tennis academy that bears Murray’s name, houses his memorabilia, and develops the next generation. It should be a rite of passage for all Scottish schoolkids to visit this place once a year.
Plans for a legacy centre near Dunblane were scrapped amid planning woes and spiralling costs.
The GB National Tennis Academy in Stirling – the closest thing we had to a hub – was closed in 2024 and relocated to Loughborough.
Judy Murray has spoken relentlessly about how the relevant authorities in Scotland have squandered the legacy of her sons.
And who can argue with that? No statues, no flagship facility, no systemic investment to flood courts with kids dreaming of winning Wimbledon.
Indoor facilities remain scarce, grassroots participation is stagnant, and promising juniors are forced to head elsewhere.
Scotland’s authorities had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to turbocharge tennis north of the border.
Instead, they’ve fumbled it with short-sighted penny-pinching and inertia. The boy from Dunblane gave everything for his country. His country gave him crumbs in return. It is shameful.
