"His mother was at the bar every night" - Rennae Stubbs jokes about how Andy Murray's marathon matches are sending his mother 'into hard liquor'
Former doubles World No. 1 Rennae Stubbs has joked that Andy Murray's habit of playing marathon matches has resulted in his mother Judy Murray visiting the bar 'after every match.'
Murray began his 2023 season with a straight-sets defeat to Sebastian Korda at the Adelaide International 1. At the Australian Open, however, the Brit dug deep in the opening two rounds.
He defeated Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (6) and won 4-6, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 7-5 against home favorite Thanasi Kokkainakis. The Brit then lost 1-6, 7-6(7), 3-6, 4-6 to Roberto Bautista Agut in the Round of 32.
He took his fighting spirit to the Qatar Open in Doha, where he reached the final. Murray beat the likes of Lorenzo Sonego, Alexander Zverev, Alexandre Muller and Jiri Lehecka in three sets and saved eight match points en route to the summit clash.
In the final, he faced Daniil Medvedev, who defeated the 35-year-old 6-4, 6-4 to clinch the title. This was Murray's first straight-sets loss in eight matches.
On the latest episode of "The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast," Stubbs joked that Andy Murray's habit of stretching his matches to the limits has seen his mother Judy turn to alcohol on a regular basis.
"Honestly, his [Andy Murray's] mother was at the bar every night after every match. You know, the fact that he grinded back, particularly against Lehecka in the semifinals where he was down I believe five match points, three on Lehecka’s serve at love-40," she said.
The 51-year-old Australian further joked that while she expects Judy to love white wine, she wouldn't be surprised to see her turn to 'the hard liquor.'
"I don’t know [what alcohol Judy drinks] but I'll find that out. I would say Judy would go for a white wine but I could be wrong. After the amount of hours she had to sit there, I wouldn't be surprised if she's getting into the hard liquor," she stated.
Daniil Medvedev is also amazed by Andy Murray's comebacks 🔥
#DaniilMedvedev #AndyMurray #Doha #Tennis https://t.co/8pTOJQ9quh
Rennae Stubbs on Andy Murray: “If he wants 55 wildcards, give them to him”
In the same podcast episode, Rennae Stubbs defended Andy Murray from criticism arising for him receiving wildcards to compete in various tournaments.
Murray most recently received a wildcard to compete at the Qatar Open, an ATP 250 event held in Doha where he finished as the runner-up. He also received a wildcard to participate in the Dubai Tennis Championships.
However, he withdrew from the tournament as a precautionary measure after spending a grueling 11 hours and 51 minutes on the court in Doha.
Four-time doubles Grand Slam champion Stubbs has urged fans to enjoy watching Murray play rather than worry about the number of wildcards he receives.
"Enjoy the ride people, enjoy the ride. You know, one of the great things about him [Andy Murray] getting to the final was like, all these people that complain about ‘Why does he get a wildcard?’ I'm like, 'Because of that,'" she said.
"He's one of the great players we've had over the last two decades. So if he wants 55 wildcards, give them to him. That's as far as I'm concerned."
Andy Murray hopes to win 800 ATP Tour matches 👏
Would he be able to reach this milestone? 🔥
#AndyMurray #Doha #Tennis https://t.co/q3KtF9elGd
It remains to be seen when Andy Murray will return to the court.