Andy Murray reached the “pinnacle of tennis” on this day in 2013 as he became the first British player to win the Wimbledon men’s singles title for 77 years.
Murray raised a standing ovation on Centre Court, where crowds bellowed their support as he sealed a thrilling victory over world number one Novak Djokovic in straight sets – 6-4 7-5 6-4.
The Scot broke down in tears of joy as he claimed the title that had eluded him for so long as a wave of celebration reverberated across the country.
In the players’ box, his mother Judy Murray wept freely while his girlfriend Kim Sears appeared to fight back tears as the British number one kissed his well-earned trophy. Fred Perry had been the last British men’s singles winner at Wimbledon in 1936.
Murray said: “Winning Wimbledon I think is the pinnacle of tennis.
“The last game almost increased that feeling. I worked so hard in that last game. It’s the hardest few points I’ve had to play in my life.
“I can’t believe it. I can’t get my head around that.
“It was different to last year’s final (against Roger Federer) for sure, and then (at) the end of the match, that was incredibly loud, very noisy.
“I’ve been saying it all week, but it does make a difference. It really helps when the crowd is like that, the atmosphere is like that.”
Murray won the Wimbledon crown again in 2016, beating Canadian Milos Raonic and giving him a third grand slam title following his 2012 US Open success.
