Judy Murray takes the stage to spill the beans on Strictly, Wimbledon and more

Judy Murray spent years of her life training athletes to stay calm under pressure. But there was something about stepping out on to the Strictly dancefloor, under the gaze of the glitterball – and millions of viewers – that made her forget all of her own advice.

“Every time you do it, you just hope you are going to survive it and not forget everything,” said Judy.

“The enormous rush of confidence you get from getting through it, whether you were good or not, is immense. That is a big thing for me in life: always being prepared to push yourself out of your comfort zone. We never evolve as people if we don’t.”

Judy had her own successful tennis career before her name became somewhat synonymous with those of her sons. The 65-year-old said agreeing to take part in the dance show in 2014 was the first time she had done something for herself outside of the sport. Though it was now more than a decade ago, it was a turning point in her career.

“It let people see me in a completely different light to what they see in the player box at Wimbledon, which is incredibly stressful,” explained Judy.

“It let people see the fun side of me and my personality, and it let me see there was a whole new world out there and friends to meet from all walks of life. It led to me getting more opportunities in the entertainment world. It was good for me because, in lots of ways, people became interested in what I did as opposed to thinking of me as Andy and Jamie’s mum.”

Judy Murray with Anton Du Beke on Strictly in 2014.

In the years since Strictly, Judy has taken part in game shows, maintained a purposefully stern face through comedy sketches and written multiple books, with her latest, Game, Set & Murder, to be published in July.

Though her playing days are behind her, tennis is still at the heart of it all, and she works with a focus on grassroots initiatives geared towards getting young women into sport. “I’ve been aware since I started coaching that you are very much in the minority as a female coach,” said Judy.

“Dropout in sport used to be between ages 14 and 17 but now it is starting between 11 and 12. You hear people say that’s when girls discover boys or have exams at school, but I say kids need to enjoy being active from a young age, then it becomes a way of life. Once they get into those tricky high school years, the more women we have working with girls and creating the right kind of environment for them to work through those difficult stages, the better.”

She added: “I am part of a project in Saudi Arabia building a workforce to deliver physical activity through tennis to girls. Everything is segregated over there and women can only be taught by women, but things have started changing in the last five years and there is a focus on becoming a more active nation. We have the opportunity through tennis to be a catalyst for change there. Imagine being able to say you were part of that?”

When Judy was a tennis player, she said, the infrastructure needed to help her succeed further didn’t exist. That is why she was so determined to establish it for those who came after.

“I had got to a decent level within Scotland, but you didn’t aspire to be a great tennis player or coach because we didn’t have the facilities or the infrastructure,” explained Judy.

“I do think the frustration drove me. When I got the opportunity to become Scottish National Coach in 1995, it was a big thing for me to take on because there were just four of us in the Scottish Tennis Association at that time, with a tiny budget.

“My main goal was to create opportunities for Scottish kids to be able to do the same things as kids in other countries.

“We built something out of nothing, with no one giving us more thought than ‘we don’t do tennis in this country’ and ‘don’t be silly’. But we worked really hard for 10 years to build things up and created a lot of world-class players.

“It’s not about what you have, it’s what you do with it. Who would have expected Wimbledon champions from Scotland? Nobody.”

Stories from her career – including behind-the-scenes tournament tales and backstage Strictly secrets – will be the topic of conversation at a Wimbledon-themed afternoon tea and dinner with Judy at Meldrum House Country Hotel in Aberdeenshire later this month.

The afternoon tea sold out in 25 minutes, but there is still an opportunity to join Judy and comedian Fred MacAulay at the dinner and Q&A.

“I never would have pictured myself being able to stand in front of an audience and talk but the more I have done it, the easier I find it,” said Judy. “It’s easy to tell your own story – it’s not like you have to learn anything, you just say it as it is. I know Fred well and he is so funny; it’s always much easier when you know the person who is asking you the questions because you need to have a bit of fun with it. Meldrum House is beautiful too; I love being able to promote things that are very Scottish, whether that is places, people or food. I am hugely patriotic.”

She added: “I’m a huge lover of cakes so I am looking forward to the afternoon tea. I’m hoping there are going to be strawberry tarts. That is a must for a Wimbledon theme. You can’t beat a fizz, too.”

Judy’s diary may still be full with events like these, but it is more relaxed than it has ever been before, much to her delight.

“I’m now able to do my own thing and enjoy life with my friends,” she said. “When I was at school, 60 was the age you were considered a granny. I am a granny now, and I love it, but I don’t feel like one. It’s not about your age, it’s about how you feel.

“You become much more aware of your eating, drinking and sleeping habits. I swim a lot, I stretch a lot, because I enjoy that and it’s important for me that I can get up off the floor to chase after one of my grandchildren. It’s about effort and discipline: you have to take more care of and invest in yourself to do the things you want to do for longer.”

As someone who likes to be busy, though, will retirement ever be an option?

“Who knows if I will ever fully retire,” said Judy. “I need my brain and myself to be active. I like being around people and I really believe that working with young people keeps you young at heart too.

“I have certainly cut back on the tennis side and added a lot of different things where I step into other people’s worlds. That keeps you refreshed and with a positive outlook on life.”

Creativity is key in coaching

A big part of Judy’s work is showing parents and teachers how they can be resourceful when it comes to introducing children to sport.

“One of Andy and Jamie’s favourite things was kitchen table tennis,” said Judy. “We would set up cereal boxes as the net and use a biscuit tin or Tupperware lids as racquets with a ping-pong ball. When I needed the table for lunch or dinner, they would sit on the floor and play.

“Their first tennis court was the driveway with two chairs, a piece of rope, chalk lines, a sponge ball and little racquets.

“I am a big believer in inventing games that do the teaching for you. Overloading kids with information isn’t necessarily the way forward. A good demonstration and something that is fun and colourful will do the job for you.”

With trophies and titles in mind, ask Judy her biggest achievement and the answer might not be what you expect.

“My first success as a tennis coach was Dunblane High School boys winning the Scottish Schools Championship,” she said.

“It was just four teenagers in 1994 and it is the first thing I always think of when people ask what my biggest success was as a coach. We were just having fun and there were no superstars, just four kids who were all pretty good.”

Judy Murray’s events at Meldrum House Country Hotel in Aberdeenshire will take place on June 19, sponsored by brand agency Imajica, Laurent Perrier and Corney & Barrow. Tickets for the dinner are still available at £125 which includes three courses, Champagne and wine. Find out more at www.meldrumhouse.com/event/event-with-judy-murray/