"Let's hope powers that be can help get this over the line": Billie Jean King proposes building community tennis centre to honour Andy Murray instead of statue

Former world number one Billie Jean King believes that Britain’s legendary tennis star Andy Murray deserves more than just a statute outside the Wimbledon arena to honour his services. The 37-year-old is often regarded as one of the greatest British players to have played the game in the men’s singles category in the Open era.

Murray has recently announced that he will officially retire from professional tennis after the Paris Olympics, largely because of consistent fitness struggles. The Glasgow-born star suffered an ankle injury earlier this year that kept him out of action for more than two months. Recently, during the Queen’s ATP championship, Murray suffered another back injury for which he had to undergo surgery as well, which ruled him out of action from the singles category during Wimbledon 2024.

Ever since he made that announcement, there have been suggestions that the former world number one deserves to have a statue outside the Wimbledon arena to honour his services. Billie Jean, who is also regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of women’s tennis in the Open era, having won as many as 12 Grand Slam titles in his illustrious career, was recently quoted in a report where she suggested that a better way to honour Murray’s services would be to help him build a facility outside his hometown Dunblane, something he has been trying to build for a long time.

"Everyone's asking what his legacy should be. I'm hearing talk of a statue at the All England Club, which of course would be very fitting,” she said. "But shouldn't it be the community tennis centre that he and his family are trying to build outside their hometown in Dunblane? Let's hope the Scottish Government and the powers that be in British tennis can help get this over the line - and soon.”