Seven-time major doubles champion Jamie Murray is back as a BBC Sport columnist over the Wimbledon fortnight.
Before his third-round match in the men’s doubles, the 37-year-old Briton talks about how becoming a father has impacted his career and why he is combining television work with playing at the US Open.
Last year I became a father for the first time and having my daughter Ava at my matches at Wimbledon makes me feel so fortunate.
Recently we celebrated her first birthday and it is amazing how quickly the time has gone. It has been an amazing year and such a journey for me and my wife Alejandra.
Ava is at an amazing age where she’s just about walking and so many things change in her development from Monday through to Sunday.
That’s why I’m so pleased both my daughter and my wife have been able to travel to some of my tournaments this year.
The life of a tennis player means you are on the road for so many weeks of the year and it means you spend a lot of time away from home.
With Ava being so young still, my family were able to come to Australia at the start of the year and were also in the US for the ‘Sunshine Double’ in Indian Wells and Miami.
While Alejandra and Ava weren’t at the events, they were staying close by with family and I could see them before and after the tournaments.
They also came to Madrid as well, so we have managed to spend some decent time together. It is very different compared to how it used to be before Ava arrived, but it is fun.
Alejandra and I feel very fortunate to have Ava here in our lives.
At Wimbledon Alejandra and Ava came to watch my mixed doubles match on Sunday. They watched the warm-up – but then, like most babies, Ava didn’t want to sit still.
Alejandra took her away from the match but it was still lovely to have her around and made the day really special.
I’ve no idea if I’ll still be playing when Ava’s old enough to absorb it more, but it would be nice to have her sitting at a match and enjoying it.
I’m 37 now and even if I play until I’m 40 – which I think I can – kids still don’t have a big attention span at the age of four.
Her watching me play when she’s older isn’t necessarily what gives me the motivation to keep playing – it’s more about me still feeling good and feeling fit.
My body is in good health and I haven’t had bad injuries or major surgeries – touch wood.
What provides me with motivation is getting out there on court and still trying to get better.
Michael Venus and I can do good things in the men’s doubles….
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