‘It didn’t seem real’: Andy Murray’s generation-defining Wimbledon triumph, 10 years on

On the 10th anniversary of the Scot’s greatest moment in tennis, fans at Wimbledon tell Alex Pattle about the day that hope became history

Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the 2013 Wimbledon men’s final (Getty Images)

When Andy Murray won his maiden grand slam, at the 2012 US Open, the reality of the situation was lost on the Scot for the briefest of moments. As Novak Djokovic propelled a forehand beyond the baseline inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, Murray gave a trademark pump of the fist. ‘A point well won.’ It was approximately two seconds later that Murray, 25 at the time, actually realised what he had done – perhaps not the wider magnitude of it, but at least what it meant in his own life. He had not just won Britain’s first major men’s singles title in 76 years, he had removed one of the most persistent and ferocious monkeys from his back. Yet there was another still clinging to the Scot’s spine, one that would delight in screeching: ‘You’ve never won Wimbledon.’

Not two months prior to his triumph in New York City, Murray had finally reached the final of Wimbledon, even winning his first set in a slam final, only to be seen off by Centre Court king Roger Federer. But between that ultimate heartbreak and the ultimate relief of lifting the US Open trophy, Murray sealed what could be seen in retrospect as the most pivotal title of his career. It was, in fact, no trophy, but rather a medal: Olympic gold, won on the very same court where he had lost to Federer weeks earlier, and against that same man.

In finally beating a player of that rare calibre in a best-of-five-sets match, and at Wimbledon no less, Murray’s confidence rose to newfound heights. It not only set up the Briton’s dramatic victory over Djokovic at the US Open but arguably enabled his defining achievement: winning the Gentlemen’s Singles trophy at Wimbledon in 2013.