"He is the epitome of tennis in his love for the game" - Katie Boulter reveals why Andy Murray is her idol
Katie Boulter has shed light on why she considers Andy Murray her idol, highlighting his remarkable resilience in the face of failure as a key factor.
Over the course of his illustrious career, Murray has won three Grand Slam titles. With his triumph at the 2012 US Open, he became the first British man to win a Major since Fred Perry in 1936. His accolades also include two Wimbledon titles as well as back-to-back men's singles gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
Given his outstanding accomplishments, it is unsurprising that Katie Boulter recently expressed her profound respect for the former World No. 1 and hailed him as a "true champion."
"He's been someone who I have watched throughout my whole entire career. I think he's a true champion in everything that he does and I've got massive respect for what he does on a daily basis," she told Sky Sports.
The 27-year-old lavished praise on Andy Murray's legacy and deemed him to be the "epitome" of tennis for his unparalleled passion and love for the game.
"His legacy is everything. He is the epitome of tennis in his passion, his love for the game, it's like no other. You don't see that often on tour and what he's been able to accomplish," she added.
Boulter also cited the three-time Grand Slam champion's impressive perseverance as the reason she considered him her idol.
"He was my idol because we saw and closely saw him fail many times but pick himself up and finally achieve what he wanted so I think that was something that really resonated with me as a person because life is not easy," she added. "You're going to have some failures but it's what you do after that makes the difference and Andy is the epitome of that."
"To see Andy Murray still grafting, still working so hard is truly inspiring" - Katie Boulter
Katie Boulter fondly recalled how Andy Murray's journey served as motivation for many youngsters, including herself, to pursue their ambitions.
"Growing up it was a true rollercoaster to watch, but to see him come out the other end and to see him achieve his goals, it really makes people and kids like me back then to strive for what they want and to be able to achieve what he achieved," she said.
Boulter also expressed her admiration for the former World No. 1's daily efforts to prolong his tennis career.
"To see him here at the NTC day in, day out still grafting, still working so hard it is truly inspiring and it's fun to watch in a way that it gives me questions in my head as to whether I should be doing certain things or whether I'll be playing in 10 years' time or whether I'll be playing in 20 years' time. I don't know, so it's nice to see a true champion at work - that's for sure," she added.
Andy Murray last competed on the tour at the Paris Masters, suffering a narrow three-set defeat to Alex de Minaur in the opening round.