Andy Murray won 46 titles during his professional tennis career, the first of which came in 2006.
After losing to Roger Federer in the 2005 Thailand Open final, Murray returned to the championship match a year later at the Pacific Coast Championships in San Jose, California.
Taking down Mardy Fish, Robin Soderling, and Andy Roddick, Murray advanced to the final, where he met Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt.
Battling back from a set down, Murray defeated Hewitt, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6, to become the youngest-ever British winner of an ATP title.
The next day, Murray logged on for an ATP media call, where he reflected on what was, at that time, the biggest win of his career.
Andy Murray said he couldn’t ‘believe’ he’d won his first ATP title at 18
Murray was delighted with the win, as he picked up his first ATP title and broke into the world’s top 50.
“Well, I can’t really believe it, but obviously it’s a good effort,” he said.
“There are not many guys who win tournaments when they’re 18.
“Obviously, didn’t have the best start to the year. People weren’t probably expecting me to win here.
“But, you know, I knew I’d put in the hard work, and I had a few problems around Australian Open time. Once I got over them, everything calmed down, and I was starting to feel good about myself.
“Once I got through the first couple of matches, I did feel like I had a chance.
Andy Murray at the 2006 Pacific Coast Championships
- 2006 Pacific Coast Championships 1R [WIN] vs Mardy Fish, 6-2, 6-2
- 2006 Pacific Coast Championships 2R [WIN] vs Jimmy Wang, 6-4, 6-2
- 2006 Pacific Coast Championships QF [WIN] vs Robin Soderling, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
- 2006 Pacific Coast Championships SF [WIN] vs Andy Roddick, 7-5, 7-5
- 2006 Pacific Coast Championships F [WIN] vs Lleyton Hewitt, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6
“But to be the youngest ever to win an ATP tournament, I think, is a pretty good achievement.”
Murray enjoyed hearing Hewitt praise him after their final, as he commented on the reaction he’d had from other ex-players since bursting onto the scene.
“Yeah, it was great, you know, to get respect from the players, which I think I have ever since I kind of came on the scene at Wimbledon, everybody’s been saying a lot of nice things about me,” he said.
Would you consider Andy Murray a top 10 player of all time?
“It’s more the ex-players and various other people who are the ones who are being a little bit negative about it.
“You know, they’re the ones that I listen to. I listen to the [Lleyton] Hewitts and the [John] McEnroes and [Jimmy] Connors and [Martina] Navratilova, those sort of people, when they’re saying nice things because they clearly know what they’re talking about.
“If you get respect from players like Hewitt and [Andy] Roddick, it’s obviously great because they play against all the best players in the world, they’ve won Grand Slams and been the best in the world, and they know what it takes to get there.
“If they’re saying nice things about you, that can only be a good thing.”
Murray didn’t know it then, but he would go on to surpass Roddick and Hewitt’s Grand Slam legacies…
Andy Murray won more Grand Slams than Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt
The British star finished his career with three majors, one more than Hewitt (2), and two more than Roddick (1).
Murray was successful at every level, winning Grand Slams, Masters 1000s, Olympic gold, and the ATP Finals.
Andy Murray’s ATP titles
| Tier | Number of titles | First title | Last title |
| Grand Slam | 3 | 2012 US Open | 2016 Wimbledon |
| Olympic gold | 2 | 2012 London | 2016 Rio |
| ATP Finals | 1 | 2016 ATP Finals | 2016 ATP Finals |
| Davis Cup | 1 | 2015 Davis Cup | 2015 Davis Cup |
| Masters 1000 | 14 | 2008 Cincinnati Open | 2016 Paris Masters |
| ATP 500 | 9 | 2009 Rotterdam Open | 2017 Dubai Tennis Championships |
| ATP 250 | 17 | 2006 Pacific Coast Championships | 2019 European Open |
Considering Murray played in arguably the most competitive era of all time, alongside Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Federer, that’s an impressive haul.
Who is the greatest male tennis player of all time?
Murray retired from tennis in 2024 as the greatest British player of his generation, leaving behind a legacy that will take some beating.
Perhaps 23-year-old Jack Draper could be the next in line to win a Grand Slam for Great Britain, as he looks to improve upon his career-best year in 2025.
Draper will return from injury to contest his 15th career major tournament at the 2026 Australian Open, which begins on Sunday, January 18.
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