Andy Murray is Scotland and Britain’s number one tennis player, and is ranked at number four in the ATP world rankings.

He grew up in Dunblane, Stirlingshire, and was coached in tennis from an early age by his mother, Judy Murray, who is currently the Talent and Performance for the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association).

Born on 15 May 1987, and showing prodigious tennis talent as a youngster, Andy Murray moved to Barcelona aged 15 to develop his tennis skills, believing that he could progress further there, training with the likes of Rafael Nadal, than he could in the UK.

He first made the headlines in 2004 when he won the Junior US Open.  He won the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year Award that same year. 

Andy Murray then made a spectacular entrance to the mainstream tennis world when he won through to the third round at Wimbledon in 2005, aged just 18.  Later that year he was selected to represent GB in the Davis Cup against Israel, becoming the youngest ever Briton to do so.

Since then he has earned over £5million in prize money, as well as gaining major sponsorship from companies such as Fred Perry, Adidas, Head, Highland Spring and RBS. 

Andy Murray’s greatest achievement as a professional came in September 2008 when, having defeated world number one Rafa Nadal in the semi-final of the US Open, he made the final of a grand slam for the first time.  He lost to Roger Federer.

His biggest wins have been in the Cincinnati Masters and Madrid Masters in 2008, which are one step below grand slam finals.  He has also won 13 other ATP singles tournaments, and the Abu-Dhabi Masters (non-ATP).  Most recently, he won the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam in February 2009.

His brother, Jamie Murray, is also a top international doubles tennis player.  He won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 2007 with Jelena Jankovic, and made the final of the 2008 US Open mixed doubles with Liezel Huber.