Andy Murray to be awarded honorary degree by Stirling University

Tennis ace Andy Murray is to be awarded an honorary degree by Stirling University.

The Wimbledon champion will collect the award when he visits the town next month.It comes just weeks after mum Judy was awarded a similar honour.

On the same day he will collect the freedom of the city, which he was granted by Stirling officials following his US Open and Olympic wins.

A source said: “Andy never went to uni because of his tennis so he’s delighted to pick up the honour. It’s going to be a very busy day.”

During his whistle-stop Scottish visit the 26-year-old is also expected to officially open his £1.8 million hotel in Perthshire, five-star Cromlix House.

The source continued: “One of his biggest tennis strengths is being quick around the court — but this is something else.

“He doesn’t want to let anyone down, especially as this is his home patch and he is only back for one day.”

A spokesman for Murray declined to comment when asked about the honour and instead referred The Courier to the university. Stirling University was unavailable for comment.

Dunblane and Bridge of Allan councillor Mark Ruskell congratulated Murray on his latest honour.

He said: “There is immense local pride in Andy and his sporting success, so it’s only fitting that he should be honoured with a doctorate from our local university, which is rated as one of the best in the UK for Sports Studies.”

“His determination to break through has been a strong inspiration to many young people already and it will be great to see him join this year’s graduates as they begin their own journeys towards success.”

Murray has strong links to Stirling and as a youngster he trained at the town’s Gannochy National Tennis Centre, just a few miles from his home in Dunblane.

He delighted the nation when he lifted the Wimbledon trophy in July 2013 after beating world number one Novak Djokovic in straight sets.

The win made him the first British man to take the title since Fred Perry in 1936. The win also made him only the second man in the open era after Rafael Nadal to hold the Olympic singles gold medal and Wimbledon title simultaneously.

Last year he was awarded an OBE by the Duke of Cambridge.

Judy Murray was given the award of Doctor of the University from the University of Stirling last November in recognition of her outstanding contribution to tennis, to sport and to charitable causes.

She had previously graduated in French and Business from the University of Edinburgh in 1981.

Her award was presented during a ceremony at the Gannochy National Tennis Centre, which was turned into a graduation venue for the occasion.

Formerly the national coach for Scotland, Judy now works with Britain’s leading women and girls and is the Great Britain Fed Cup captain, while also leading the drive to encourage more people to take up the sport.

She taught both Murray and his brother Jamie as juniors.

Culled from Courier