Judy Murray: 'small but vocal minority' opposed Andy Murray Tennis Academy project

Judy Murray clarified the 'lies' about the abandoned project for a Tennis Academy in legacy of Andy Murray. The project was directed by the Murray Play Foundation and was set to be realized in Dunblane, the hometown of Andy and Jamie, for a total of 20 million pounds.

The project did not proceed after the Murray Play Foundation announced that they dropped their decision due to “significant increases in construction, material energy and labor costs, a lengthy and uncertain planning process and protracted discussions with governing bodies.”

"The project has been entirely funded by me" - Judy Murray

The sports center would have included pickleball courts, a gym, an exercise studio, soft play areas, and more. After the failed project, Judy Murray came forward to clarify her version of the events: “The most hurtful thing is the lies and misrepresentations that have been peddled by those who are opposed to the project.”

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“They are a small but vocal minority. It is quite wrong to suggest that this was all about luxury houses, that I stood to make millions from it and that it was little more than my vanity project,” she said. “I don’t want to get into how much, but the project has been entirely funded by me. The idea that it is some kind of get-rich scheme is absolute nonsense. We set it up as a not-for-profit charitable foundation. It was always about investing in sport and in the community that the boys grew up in.”

The facilities would have allowed players access to a network of coaches, and the Scottish government authorized the construction of 19 houses on the site. Judy commented that her parents, both over 90 years old, have lived in Dunblane for decades: “My dad was the optician in the town and helped to build the scout hut, while mum ran a toy shop and spent her Saturday mornings coaching at the tennis club for years and years out of goodwill.

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“I don’t live in Dunblane but, for them, it’s been hard. They’ve heard mistruths and allegations being leveled which they know are completely untrue. All we were trying to do was to create something wonderful for our local area,” she said. “But we have been misrepresented every step of the way by a small number of people. They seem to be against anything that involves change.

“Our heart is set on doing something in Scotland. We will take a bit of time and look at what opportunities might be out there to create a fitting legacy,” the mother of Andy and Jamie added. “The country is incredibly proud of what Andy and Jamie have achieved and it makes me so sad that we have absolutely nothing to show for it.”

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