Sir Andy Murray has shared that he is regularly “humbled” by his five-year-old son, who has recently started beating him at a new game.
Murray, aged 38, might have intended to guide his son towards tennis greatness, but it seems he is instead fostering a chess prodigy.
The Scottish icon, who retired from tennis last year, has been using his time away from the court to play chess with his son, Teddy.
Murray mentioned that the youngster is picking up the strategic sport quickly and is doing so well that he frequently outplays his father.
Speaking to the BBC, Murray elaborated on why losing to your own child can be quite challenging as a parent.
The Wimbledon legend, who has four children with his wife Kim, remarked: “My five-year-old boy has got really into chess, which I`m really enjoying playing with him.”
“I`m not a particularly good chess player, but I`ve got quite an analytical mind and I enjoy the game and watching him learn and playing with him.”
“It`s difficult losing to a five-year-old when in the middle of the game he`s asking you to come and wipe his bum, essentially.”
“He`s going to the toilet in the middle of the game, and then he comes back and is beating me at chess. It`s humbling that, for my intelligence”.
Murray has found more time to practice his chess game since concluding his coaching role with Novak Djokovic last month. Their separation was amicable after he spent most of the year as part of the Serbian`s team.
However, he has since found a new professional path, entering the field of venture capitalism.
The former world No. 1 and two-time Wimbledon champion has accepted a position as an associate partner at Redrice Ventures, an investment firm based in London.
He told the Sunday Times: “It’s difficult to step away from a sport like tennis, which has been so all-consuming for me for so long, and then not have anything to fill that void.”
“I’ve seen it before with other athletes — when they haven’t had other interests straight after sport, it becomes hard for them to know who they are.”
“I’m also only 38 years old, so that’s a long time to be retired.”
“My plan was always to spend more time on my other business interests once I’d finished playing tennis, and I’m enjoying starting to work on some of those projects now.”
“I think for me it’s the work ethic and single-minded determination to succeed.”
Murray had previously collaborated with Redrice in 2018 as part of a joint investment related to the sportswear company Castore.
He already holds various business interests, including a five-star country house hotel in Scotland, a padel tennis company, and a crowdfunding platform named Seedrs.
