Judy Murray

I heard her talking about the British women players she coaches/mentors and thought she was lovely: really enthusiastic about them.

I think tennis parents are a strange lot anyway.

Martina Hingis's mum was very intense as well wasn't she, and got a lot of vitriol.

I think Shatners is right, it's because she never shows any joy. I get that she'll be tense while he's playing, but all she ever seems to show when he makes a good shot is aggression - maybe that's just the way her face falls, but that's what people have based their opinions on.

I'm sure Mr Williams does smile when he's watching his daughters.

It also seems odd to me that she never appears to speak to or sit next to Andy's girlfriend and she does seem far more interested in Andy's success than Jamie's. I remember when Jamie WON A WIMBLEDON TITLE, she chose to watch Andy's games instead. I'm sure she was at both of them form time to time, but she seemed to spend far more time at Andy's. I remember thinking that was odd at the time.

I didn't know she left the family home, but I find her (and Andy) difficult to warm to. Jamie I have a soft spot for

Living overseas, (and not caring about Tennis) I've missed most of this. But I remember Mrs Underwood (when her boys Rory and Tony were on the England Rugby Team) being universally beloved as she stood watching them for hours.

Perhaps because she used to join in mexican waves or whatnot. But that's rugby, as a supporter you do different things than you do when you watch Tennis. When you watch tennis, specially if you're a keen fan, you sit there, looking intent. Don't you? What on earth is she supposed to do, grin inanely for hours?

Pfft. Bloody meeja.

My DH and I had this conversation. He firmly believed she wouldn't get this if she was male.
I think it's partly because SHE moved out of the family home when they were kids. She didn't run off, she lived seperately and the boys lived with their dad.

But obviously, that makes her an awful mum & an attroticious woman...

I have friends who know her... She's just very dedicated and very focused, coaches some up and moment kids in Sotland as well.

My son show jumps & I barely breathe when watching him do his 3 min round, 3-4 hours of tennis would be agony.

Lunamoon if there was a "like" button for your post, I would press it!

I found this Guardian article interesting. Most of it is very supportive of her, in her new role as "Fed Cup captain (the women's equivalent of the Davis Cup)". But then this bit:

"As Andy wrestled with his public image, she did little to soften the hard edges. There were stories of her honing the co-ordination of her children from the cradle. She would toss ropes on the floor and make Andy and Jamie jump across the gap, as if it were a shark-infested sea."

Erm, isn't that just playing with them?

I felt sorry for her when he lost and she was crying.
As regards advertising:
Why don't they show pictures of mums stood freezing to death outside supporting their children at sporting events, then coming home and having to scrub their clothes.

If P&G are proud sponsors of mums, where's my money!

I think she's extremely tense when he plays and feels for him. As I expect I would in her shoes. I would guess that she is asked many more questions about Andy than about Jamie.

P&G truly have some bad ideas for advertising. And that ad has been on so bloody often already that I am thankful BBC at least won't have ad breaks during the Olympics.

I hate those bloody P&G adverts. I'm sure Judy Murray has done all of that and more, of COURSE you'd look tense watching your son in the Wimbledon Gentleman's Final!

I'm not sure why Judy gets so much criticism tbh. I wonder how my face would look if it was my ds out there playing - eyes clenched shut followed by peering through fingers and then jumping up and down - probably not a pleasant sight!

There are enough examples of extreme behaviour by tennis parents that I think showing one behaving pretty normally is a good thing. (I'm thinking of eg Dokic's father, or the case in France which led to a manslaughter charge).

It's not that different from the sort of coverage which surrounded the Williams' father. And of course there has also been plenty of coverage of her role in development of the GB womens' game.

I've never heard any vitriol directed towards her but then I've never seen or heard of her before today anyway! She looked to me very similar in expression etc to Tim Henman's father. Perhaps it's just the way parents watch?

Ok

Absolutely Pagwatch.

Talking of middleaged women I need to ask you a question about peri-menopausal stuff - will pm you.

But she is just focussed. I don't see the Williams sisters dads grinning away when they play and I don't read criticism of him for that.
It is tense as crap watching a loved one perform and when you have coached them too it must be agonising.

I think the 'hatchet faced' stuff does link into the fact that few groups are held in quite such contempt as middle aged women.

I think lots of top sportspeople's parents look pretty tense when watching them to be honest.

I've never heard anybody say anything about her needing to improve her housekeeping

I didn't like Tim Henman's dad either so it has nothing to do with her being a woman. I think it is partly because i have never heard her talk about Jamie, it all seems to be focused on Andy & I don't think that's right.

It annoys me the vitriol she attracts too.

Behind any great sportsman are normally incredibly dedicated parents.