Tennis champion Andy Murray and wife Kim reveal how the deaths of their dogs Maggie May and Rusty affected their four children and left their house feeling ‘different’
The loss of two beloved dogs left tennis icon Andy Murray and his family distraught, the former British No.1 has admitted. Maggie May passed away in 2022, with border terrier Rusty dying two years later.
Murray, his wife Kim and their children have since welcomed a new companion in 2025, adopting a retriever named Bonnie. But the grand slam winner, 38, has spoken candidly about the heartbreak of losing their previous pets.
Andy and Kim, who tied the knot in 2015, share four children – daughters Sophia, Edie and Lola, and son Teddy. The family relocated to their current home in Leatherhead in 2022, setting their sights on a dream property after reportedly making £5million from the sale of their previous home, a mansion they had lived in for more than a decade
Their new Surrey residence boasts a swimming pool, massage room, changing facilities and sauna. Yet Murray admits the house felt distinctly different after Maggie and Rusty’s deaths.
“When our dogs died last year our house just felt different,” the former Sports Personality of the Year told The Times. “They weren’t super-noisy dogs, but when they were no longer here it just felt so quiet, and we became aware of the things we hadn’t always noticed.”
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“When we sat down on the sofa the dogs would always hop up and lie down next to us, or the first thing we’d always do in the morning was feed and take the dog for a walk. They become a huge part of your routine. They’re always present. They’re always part of the family and the kids always loved them.”
He acknowledged the family found it hard to cope with the two deaths, saying: “It was really brutal. We found it extremely hard. I wasn’t there when Maggie passed away but I was when Rusty died, and I found it incredibly difficult and we all decided that we wanted to give a bit of time before we got another dog. We didn’t want to rush it.
“It was hard for the children too and it was interesting to see how they reacted to it as it’s the first time they’ve really experienced grief – but we all stuck together, supported each other and talked about all the things we all loved about Rusty. They handled it in a really touching way, which showed how much the dogs mean to them too. You don’t always realise how deep that love is.”
Murray earned an estimated £50 million in prize money throughout his tennis career, with millions more coming from sponsorship deals and business ventures. He stepped away from the sport in 2024, giving him more opportunity to spend time with his family and – more recently – with new dog Bonnie.
“I think it helped that I was ready to retire, physically I couldn’t really play to the level I wanted to anymore, my body was kind of telling me that it was time,” Murray said after confirming his retirement. “I didn’t feel like I still had much more to give but within like 10 days, two weeks of finishing, I looked back and was like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I managed to do these things and achieve these things’.”
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