There was collective national fear and excitement in the air when Andy Murray arrived on Center Court for the 2013 men’s final with Novak Djokovic – but Sir Chris Hoy has revealed he never doubted his compatriot would win.
And he is absolutely certain that Murray’s first Wimbledon triumph remains the greatest sporting achievement he has ever seen with his own eyes.
Looking back on that afternoon as he took his seat in a box waiting for him at Wimbledon shortly after announcing his retirement from cycling, the six-time Olympic champion told Mail Sport: “As soon as I arrived I knew it was a special race . day.
“I was there with my wife Sarra and beforehand we went to the players lounge to meet Judy, Andy’s partner Kim and other members of his family.
“Obviously they were all very excited and nervous. Everyone knew how important an opportunity this was.
Sir Andy Murray took his first Wimbledon title in 2013 after beating Novak Djokovic
Sir Chris Hoy recalls being present in the crowd at Center Court for Murray’s victory
“I had complete confidence in him. I was convinced he was going to win.
“I had seen him before in Melbourne in the Australian Open final against Roger Federer. He didn’t win that one, but for some reason I just had a feeling this was going to be his day. So I was very excited, but also quite relaxed compared to a lot of people around me.
“I remember seeing him for the first time at Wimbledon in 2005, and it was the match he lost to David Nalbandian. Here was this young boy and you could tell he had this incredible strength, personality and character shining through. I really thought he had something. Everyone, of course, hoped that one day he would win Wimbledon, but you never wanted to talk about it too much. You didn’t want to be someone else putting more pressure on him.”
Hoy knows what it’s like to be the hero of a nation, but even he was moved by Murray’s extraordinary performance when he was able to contain his courage to finally beat Djokovic to become the first British man to win the singles title in 77 year.
“It definitely felt like a moment in history,” he recalls. “For me, this is the greatest sporting moment I’ve ever experienced live – and I’ve seen a few over the years.
“There can’t be any other sport that has an event of that size as its home event where they haven’t had a home winner for so long.
Hoy insists he had “complete faith” in Murray and enjoyed the historic moment
Murray’s mother, Judy, and the rest of his family were visibly excited and nervous for the game
“Maybe the Tour de France is up there, but for Wimbledon it was 77 years and the anticipation with each passing year is huge. It seemed to impose more pressure and expectation on everyone involved. Other players like Tim Henman had never succeeded, but Andy really seemed to be just another specimen.
“It seemed like all the stars aligned that day. Andy’s main desire was to become the best tennis player in the world and to do that at a time when you have the all-time best three with Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Djokovic is incredible.
“If it had been a different era, maybe you could say he would have won more than a few Wimbledon titles.
“But other than that it was really remarkable to witness it and be so close to it – to sit with his family and sit in the second row was very special indeed.”
Hoy believes Murray’s mental toughness was ultimately key to his success at Wimbledon – propelling him through the tough times.
Hoy believes it was Murray’s mental strength that won him over a decade ago
“It’s incredibly hard to keep going at that level and the hardest moments aren’t necessarily the ones you might think.
“Yes, it’s tough on the day when you’re on the field or track like I was, but it’s the daily monotony that’s often the worst.
“It’s not necessarily about getting medals or winning titles — it’s about getting up on a Tuesday morning and getting on with things. It’s the unglamorous grind – the mental toughness of being able to do it when no one’s looking and know that’s what counts.
‘Crossing the line is of course important and you have to be able to do it under pressure, but what many people fail to achieve is that they don’t get the best out of themselves every day.
Andy clearly had that work ethic and mental toughness, just to keep going when he didn’t get results, when he got close and then tripped over the last hurdle.
Murray made a great recovery from his setbacks against Djokovic and won the tournament
“He didn’t wave the white flag and think it would never happen — he went back to court, went back to the gym and just kept working and he never lost that hunger.
“He seems to be the kind of person who can handle pressure and has found a way to isolate himself from the external pressures that other athletes often stumble upon.
“They spend too much time thinking about what the media or the general public is saying when he just seems to love what he does.
“As a teenager who reached the top 20 or 30 in the world and suddenly made a lot of money, he could have taken his eyes off the ball a little bit and his life could have taken a different turn, but he clearly had the passion to stay in it . in the long run.
“As a child you got used to seeing Scottish or British athletes get up close, but not quite make it. Andy turned that around. He has given young people the belief that if they want to and are willing to work hard enough, they can become champions too.’