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Judy and Andy Murray hope a new TV series they have worked on together will highlight the discrimination women continue to face in sport.
Sir Andy told Sky News it is “simply not true” that women are not as good as men and that he works with elite female athletes who are “incredible” at their game.
Back in 2017, the two-times Wimbledon tennis champion and former world number one went viral for correcting a journalist in a post-match press conference, and was praised for highlighting casual sexism and the battle professional female athletes face.
He also took on Novak Djokovic when his frequent on-court rival suggested men deserved more money because they drew bigger crowds.
Now, he is appearing alongside his mum in her new series Driving Force, which focuses on 10 of the UK’s most successful sportswomen, including Victoria Pendleton, Rebecca Adlington and Dame Kelly Holmes.
Speaking to Sky News breakfast show presenter Kay Burley, Judy Murray said she hoped to start conversations about the challenges women still face in sport.
“It’s going to create a lot of talking points about the issues and challenges that still exist for women in sport because it tells the backstory,” she said.
“So often we just see the performance, we see the end result when we watch on TV, and never think about what’s gone into creating that performance.”
As a coach, Judy’s story will be told in the first episode of the series before it goes on to highlight the other stars.
She told Burley her love of tennis was her own personal driving force. “And also all the kids that I was working with, wanting to help them to get better, to create opportunities for them,” she said.
“So for me, the series shines that spotlight back on to the importance of parents, the importance of teachers who recognise a talent, perhaps of a child at school, and point them in the right direction of a local athletic club or football club or tennis club…
“It’s really shining a spotlight on the importance of all the people that are involved right from the start.”
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Asked what he would say to those who argue women are not as good in sport as men, Sir Andy said: “Elite females… competing at the top of world sport are incredible, incredible athletes.
“I obviously get to see a lot of them firsthand when I’m competing on the tennis tour, because a lot of our major events are combined. And I see how hard all of them work and how good they are as athletes as well.”
The first episode of Driving Force will be available on 24 November 2020 on Sky Sports Mix at 9pm, and Sky Sports Main Event at 10.15pm. It will also be available On Demand via Sky and NOW TV
