judy murray said Scotland “missed the boat” on the chance to build on the Murray family legacy, as three indoor padel courts opened at Glasgow Club in Scotstoun on Thursday, April 21, 2026 ET. She said the opportunity was there during Andy and Jamie Murray’s dominance, but that more was needed to turn the spotlight into lasting participation. The comments came at a venue where the former indoor tennis courts have now been replaced by the new padel courts.
Three courts open at Scotstoun
The opening in Glasgow is another sign of how padel is being pushed into more public leisure spaces, with the new courts built on the site of two indoor tennis courts. judy murray said she would have liked to see more children competing at international level, along with more recreational leagues, more tournaments and more affordable indoor facilities so people could play all year round.
She said: “There was a huge opportunity there because the role models were there, the shop window was there, and I don’t think it’s been capitalised on. ” She added: “You will never have a shop window like that again, unfortunately, but they have both retired now, so I think it’s time for me to retire too. ”
Judgment on the Murray legacy
The message from judy murray was direct: Scotland had a rare moment to turn family success into wider growth, and she believes that moment passed. “I feel like I have done my bit, so it’s over to another generation to try and build on that. For sure, we missed the boat, ” she said.
Tennis Scotland took a different view. A spokesperson for the independent governing body said: “By any measure, tennis is thriving in Scotland. ” The body said it has record club membership and participation, three indoor centres opened and 166 public courts revamped over the past three years, with more facilities projects in the pipeline.
What Tennis Scotland says is changing
Tennis Scotland also said its schools programme is working to put a racket in the hand of every child for free, while more players are competing on court and 11 Scots won pro titles in 2025. It said it will continue working with partners to keep that growth going.
For judy murray, the moment at Scotstoun underlined both progress and frustration. The new padel courts show how quickly racquet sports can move into the mainstream when facilities are available, but her warning was that Scotland had already had its clearest chance to turn star power into a deeper base of players.
What happens next
The immediate focus now is whether the new padel courts at Scotstoun can help widen access and interest beyond the headline opening. For judy murray, the story is already bigger than one venue: it is about whether Scotland can still build on the legacy she says it missed the boat on, or whether the next wave of players and facilities will have to do the work from here.
