Andy Murray

Andy Murray may seem strange for this column. But I interviewed the great man in Paris – one of the few times that I have impressed my three brothers – and the 26-year-old has broken the 77-year-old Wimbledon spell. Finally, a Brit has snared the most Inner Chic sports title in the world. Because Wimbledon just defines civilised on every level, from the elegance of the tennis being played to the layout of the courts to the enthusiasm of the crowds.

"Wimbledon just defines civilized on every level, from the elegance of the tennis being played to the layout of the courts to the enthusiasm of the crowds"

When we met in 2009, Andy nursed a thorny relationship with the public. Consumed by his game, he refused to put on the charm offensive. This was obvious at a press conference. Surrounded by sports hacks, Andy defined inaccessible and avoided eye contact. However, alone, he was polite – “do you mind if I eat?” he asked before ploughing through a bag of chewy sweets – and relaxed, breaking into a series of warm laughs and smiles. Physically, he’s been compared to Chris Martin but in my estimation, he resembles the Hollywood star Charlton Heston, albeit more finely boned.

What immediately struck was how humble and no nonsense he was.  The Scottish-born champion talked about his parents scraping funds together in order to send him to the Sanchez-Casal tennis academy in Barcelona. “I was only 15 and it was tough,” he said. Still, it led to his first win: the junior US Open in 2004. Andy was also funny about his eating habits – “50 pieces of sushi in one sitting” being his record – and his choice of activities outside of tennis that varied from computer games to pop music – “unfortunately, nothing too intellectual,” he quipped. And naturally, there was his goal. “It would have to be winning Wimbledon,” he then admitted. Four years later and it has happened. Talk about game, set & Murray marvellous!

Text by Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni

Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni is a Paris-based British writer who covers fashion and lifestyle as well as being the author of Sam Spiegel – The Biography of A Hollywood Legend, Understanding Chic, an essay from the Paris Was Ours anthology, the soon-to-be released Tino Zervudachi – A Portfolio – as well as the Chanel book, for Assouline's fashion series.

Robert Beck is former New Yorker currently based in Paris. A former classical dancer, his book for children titled "A Bunny in the Ballet" will be available early in 2014 from Scholastic, Inc.