(Getty)
Kim Sears met Andy Murray when she was just 17 years old, crossing paths with the up-and-coming tennis star while she was studying in New York City and he was competing in the US Open.
Fast forward nearly ten years and the two are recently married, parents to two of Twitter’s most photogenic dogs and hoping to see Murray compete, once again, in the Wimbledon final. Now, with Murray slated to take on No. 2 Roger Federer in the tournament’s semifinal on Friday afternoon, you can expect plenty of on-camera moments for Kim and the rest of the Murray family.
A close shot of @andy_murray‘s wedding ring on his left shoe lace. #Wimbledon http://t.co/jRu5AAkNSa
Here’s what you need to know about Kim and her long-time relationship with Andy:
Andy & Kim Were Married in Dunblane, Scotland This April
After nearly nine years of dating, Andy Murray and Kim Sears, finally, tied the knot in an elaborate ceremony at Dunblane Cathedral. The ensuing reception was held at Cromlix House Hotel.
CNN called the event the “Royal Wedding of Scotland,” as Murray donned a traditional green and blue tartan kilt while Sears walked down the aisle in a gown by British designer Jenny Packham. Just prior to the ceremony, Murray tweeted out an emotion and emoji-filled tweet:
🌞☔😂👔💅💇😂👰😂🚗💒💃👫🙏💍💏👏📝🎹📷🎥🚗🍷🍴🎂🎊🎉👯🎶🎤🍹🍻🍷🍺🍩🍦🍷🍹🍸🍺🌙❤💕😘💤💤💤💤💤💤💤
Social media was filled with congratulations and best wishes, including messages from previous competitors like Rafael Nadal:
Congrats @andy_murray & Kim for your wedding. I wish you all the best!
The pair, who split briefly in 2006, had gotten engaged in November 2014.
Sears Works as an Artist & Runs Her Own Website
Sears specializes in animal portraits and, per her website, “Brushes and Paws,” is occasionally available for commission-based work.
Sears’ online portfolio is mostly filled with paintings of dogs, including the two border terriers she and Murray own together. She wrote that she considers her painting a hobby that has grown into something more serious, explaining:
As cheesy as it sounds, Dad has always said to ‘find something you love to do, and you’ll never work another day in your life’. This is definitely something that I try to remember, and may explain why my career in retail never took off…! I appreciate art of every kind, but love to create paintings myself that are bold, upbeat and meaningful (and often very large).
In addition to her self-run website, Sears frequently posts photos of her work on her Instagram account.
Her Father Is a Former Tennis Coach
Sears cheers on Murray with his mother, Judy, and her father, Nigel. (Getty)
Sears has been around tennis for as long as she can remember, growing up while her father, Nigel, was working as a women’s coach.
Nigel, who had actually played competitively in his own right, reached a career-best ranking of 382 in 1982 but lost his only professional match. He then turned to coaching, working with Daniela Hantuchová, guiding her to a top-ten ranking. Hantuchová also won the Indian Wells tournament in California and reached three consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinals from 2002 to 2003. She lost all three to either Serena or Venus Williams.
He then worked with former WTA standout Ana Ivanovic, hired to help revive her career. However, he was unable to turn around Ivanovic’s on-court fortunes and was let go in 2013 following Wimbledon.
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Who Is Andy Murray’s Wife?