Murray Returns As First-Time Dad

He is the latest member of the Top 4 in the Emirates ATP Rankings to add fatherhood to his list of achievements. Now Andy Murray will discover how that transfers to on-court success at the BNP Paribas Open when he contests his first ATP World Tour event since the birth of his daughter, Sophia, in February.

If his three contemporaries’ success in the Top 4 is anything to go by, the title runs aren’t about to dry up for the Scot. Novak Djokovic has won 15 titles since becoming a dad, Roger Federer 28 and Stan Wawrinka 12.

A semi-finalist in Indian Wells last season, Murray returns with a different mindset in 2016. He admitted he had spoken to some of his rivals about the challenges of juggling a family with life on tour.

“I spoke to Roger a little bit in Cincinnati about it, I spoke to Novak a little bit about it … Everyone’s a bit different,” Murray said. “Kim’s not massively into travelling every week whereas some of the partners on tour like travelling and that works for them. It’s just about trying to find what works for you.”

And the World No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings won’t have to wait long before seeing his wife, Kim, and Sophia again. The pair is due to join him for his next event after the BNP Paribas Open.

“She’s coming to Miami so that will be the first trip my daughter does outside of the UK,” Murray said. “Hopefully that goes well. Maybe if that goes really well we’ll be a bit more pumped to travel in the future. We’ll just have to see how it goes in a couple of weeks.”

Murray’s best result at Indian Wells came when he reached the final in 2009 (l. to Nadal). Has a 24-10 record at the event and will open his campaign against either Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur or Spain’s Marcel Granollers.

“I’ve been sleeping decent, which is important, and I’ll try to get some practice in the next few days to get better used to the conditions,” Murray said. “I haven’t hit a ball outdoors for about five or six weeks so it’s quite different.”