Generation M: Andy Murray's influence on British tennis cannot be understated

Brilliant. Great. Can we start celebrating now? Andy Murray, when asked by a reporter if he believes “in omens.” The last time Murray played a fellow Brit in the first round at Wimbledon, he won the tournament.

It wasn’t so long ago that apart from the odd Tim Henman, or Canadian transplant Greg Rusedski, Great Britain was in the throes of an almost surreal talent drought that reliably generated deep-dives by journalists into the vexing existential question, “Why can’t the British play the game they basically invented?”

But today, thanks largely to the influence of Murray, who in 2013 became Britain’s first men’s Wimbledon champion in 77 years, there are four British men (including Murray) ranked in the Top 70—with more on the way. They are led by No. 12 seed Cam Norrie.

Last year, Norrie became one of just four British men to play a Wimbledon semifinal in the Open Era, and he even took a set off eventual champion Novak Djokovic. This year, he will bear the brunt of the weight of British expectations, much like Murray did for so many years before his epic breakthrough. Norrie is about as well prepared for the task of winning Wimbledon as a person can be—thanks partly to his friendship with Murray.

“I’m always picking his brains on certain situations,” Norrie told the Guardian.com last summer. “[I ask] what he thinks about certain players, how they play and tactics, everything, really. He’s gone through a lot in the sport and he’s achieved almost everything. To be practicing with him a lot, to be spending time with him quite a lot, it’s pretty cool.”

Over the years, Murray has evolved into something like the conscience of tennis, a thoughtful, diligent, open-minded ambassador conversant with the full range of issues simmering in the sport, from the pay disparity between men and women to inconsistencies in the code of conduct. That has had an often overlooked, positive impact on young British players.

Every Grand Slam champion pays a kind of inspiration dividend to his nation, but not every major winner triggers a national renaissance, or penetrates as deeply as Murray has into the consciousness of his nation. The status he gradually attained and the affection he engenders across broad swaths of the UK public earned him a knighthood (three wins and eight runner-up finishes at majors in the Big Three era didn’t hurt in that cause, either). Domestically, he has sparked pride in tennis and raised the level of appreciation people have for the sport. Can you imagine a parent not wanting his or her child to grow up to be someone like Sir Andy Murray?

In the mid-1980s through the mid-’90s—Murray’s early adolescence—Jeremy Bates single-handedly shouldered the burden of British hopes, and suffered abuse for his lackluster record as Britain’s top player. Bates was an excellent doubles player, but he never passed beyond the fourth round in singles at Wimbledon, or climbed higher than No. 54 in the rankings. Rusedski and Henman improved on his record, but Murray’s spectacular successes eclipsed the achievements of all those men combined. In addition to playing 11 major finals, Murray finished with the No. 1 ranking in 2016, won two Olympic singles gold medals and scads of lesser titles, including 14 Masters 1000s. The Big Three consider Murray every bit their equal.

Thus, it was surprising when Wimbledon recently revealed a poster created for the tournament featuring youngsters Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, along with a host of Open Era champions, including the Big Three. Murray was not even portrayed. He addressed the ensuing firestorm from the high road, with dignity, saying only that placing Venus and Serena Williams deep in the background on the poster was “very strange,” and accurately describing the entire effort as “a disaster.”

A few weeks ago, Murray conducted a poll on Twitter, asking what people consider success for a Grand Slam nation: Slam champions, depth of Top 100 players, number of participants, or all of the above. The top choice, with 37.3 percent, was depth of Top 100. But when Murray canvassed male French players, who have provided great depth in the Top 100 but no Slam winners in decades, they told Murray that they would prefer a Grand Slam champion.

Thanks largely to Murray, Great Britain is on the way to having both. Norrie told The Independent that the British players are “pushing each other,” with Murray taking an active role and sharing his insights and experiences. “It’s great for the future generations like myself, leading into some of the younger guys, as well.”

Whatever happens in Murray’s first-round match in London, the omen has already been delivered.