Andy Murray's post-tennis life as Brit admits parenting 'problems' and 'guilt' about wife Kim

Andy Murray has been able to focus on family life since retiring from professional tennis last year, with the former world No. 1 now living in Surrey with his wife Kim and their four children

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Sir Andy Murray has settled into a new chapter centred around family life after stepping away from professional tennis last year. The 38-year-old Scot, born in Glasgow in 1987 and raised in Dunblane, now resides in Surrey with his wife, Kim Sears, and their four children: Sophia, 9, Edie, 7, Teddy, 5 and Lola, 4.

Leaving the sport has allowed Murray to trade the relentless demands of competition for the steady rhythm of home life - a transition he views as both rewarding and necessary. After a short period spent coaching Novak Djokovic, Murray has, for now, left tennis behind, with his attention firmly on family.

"Right now, I just want to be around for my kids," he told The i. "I don't think it's the easiest time for kids growing up with the problems associated with screens, phones, and social media... My ambition is to try and be a good dad and a good husband."

These days, his schedule is filled with school runs, pick-ups and helping to train the family's new puppy, Bonnie. Retirement has given Murray time to truly enjoy these small but meaningful experiences. I felt sad about retiring but it was the right moment for me to move on," he said.

"I couldn't physically do it anymore. My body was telling me I needed to stop. But now I get to focus on being a parent... and just do the stuff a normal family do."

A cornerstone of this new phase is his relationship with Kim, who has been a steady presence since the start of his career. "Kim has been unbelievable when it comes to supporting me throughout my career. She's been the perfect supporter," Andy said. "She really encouraged me to keep pursuing my career."

Even with four young kids, the couple make sure to spend time together. "It's hard sometimes because we have quite a few kids, but we try and make time for lunch or going to the gym together when the kids are at school," Murray added. "You shouldn't feel guilty about that."

While family is his main focus for now, Murray is also thinking ahead. "When the kids are more grown up and are able to take care of themselves then I'll focus a little bit more on what I want to do with that stage of my life," he said. "But right now, I'm really happy doing what I'm doing."

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Thanks to financial stability, Murray can enjoy this slower pace without pressure, though he reflects with humour on youthful mistakes. "My worst financial decision was buying a fancy car - a Ferrari - when I was younger. I never ended up driving it. I sold it about three months after I bought it," he admitted.

"A few of my friends said I should buy a fancy car and I thought why not? But when I got it, I regretted it. I'm not hugely into cars. I'll happily drive anything."

Murray's identity off the court remains deeply tied to the journey that began on it. He first picked up a racket at age three, coached by his mother Judy alongside his brother Jamie. At 15, he moved to Barcelona's Sanchez-Casal Academy, choosing tennis over football - a pivotal decision.

"In my early teens I had to make the difficult decision between focusing on playing tennis or football," he recalls. "It was really hard because I loved playing football... I remember walking with my dad to the car after leaving my tennis session early [to go to my football lesson]. I told him that I wanted to go back and finish my tennis session. That was when I realised I couldn't commit to both."

He credits his parents' sacrifices as the foundation of his success: "I don't think I would be where I am today if it hadn't been for my parents... Without their support and sacrifices, we wouldn't have stood a chance."

That dedication paid off - Murray claimed 46 professional titles during his career, including two Wimbledon championships, the US Open and a pair of Olympic gold medals.

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"When I was younger, I didn't necessarily have ambitions to be number one... I just wanted to become a professional tennis player. But playing at Wimbledon for the first time... made me feel like I had made it," he explained.

His numerous injuries taught him persistence and perspective: "The injuries I had during my career definitely taught me about patience... Life isn't fair... The only way that I dealt with it was by focusing on... training properly, going to the gym, eating properly."

Asked which moment he would relive, Murray chose his first Olympic triumph. "If I could go back... it would probably be the London Olympics," he said. "There was a lot of positivity around the country and it was the most fun I had on a tennis court in my career."

Now, Murray balances memories of an extraordinary sporting life with the joys of raising his children. Retirement has offered him the rare chance to prioritise what matters most - being there for his kids, supporting his family and building a meaningful life beyond the game that defined him.