The reason why Wimbledon are building a statue of Andy Murray instead of Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer is clear.
The Wimbledon Championships have hosted some of the most iconic and historic events in tennis history.
The likes of Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg have all experienced some of the greatest moments of their career at the grass-court Grand Slam.
But in 2013, British fans were left overjoyed and the 77-year wait for a home champion was finally put to an end by Andy Murray.
He wrote his name into British tennis folklore and as his efforts were set to be rewarded by Wimbledon with a statue in his honour, and it was an announcement met with some criticism.
Why Wimbledon are building a statue for Andy Murray and not Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic
Andy Murray made British history by winning Wimbledon
There is no denying that Federer and Novak Djokovic have the credentials for a statue in their honour at Wimbledon. The Swiss Maestro has a record eight titles at SW19, while the Serbian has seven to his name.
Murray has claimed two Wimbledon titles, the last of which came in 2016. The 38-year-old was the most promising British player since Tim Henman failed to go beyond the semi-finals on four occasions at Wimbledon.
Murray carried the heavy weight and expectation on his shoulders of nearly eight decades without a British winner to deliver not one, but two Wimbledon titles.
The impact of the victory on British tennis has been monumental, as Murray inspired a next generation of British players led by the ATP’s world number four Jack Draper.
More young people began to play and it has just been announced that the Lawn Tennis Association plans to renovate more than 3,000 dilapidated park tennis courts over the next three years.
This is the legacy that Murray has created and why Wimbledon will build a statue for him in 2027, the year of the grass court Grand Slam’s 150th anniversary.
Andy Murray won Wimbledon in arguably men’s tennis’ toughest era
Murray already had a difficult task of becoming the first British Wimbledon in 77 years, but achieving that feat in a golden era of men’s tennis made the challenge even greater.
For years the double Olympic champion battled Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal for Grand Slams, in addition to other dangerous players of the time such as Tomas Berdych, Stan Wawrinka and Juan Martin del Potro.
Murray won his first Grand Slam by defeating Djokovic in five sets to win the 2012 US Open title on a busy day in New York.
The double Olympic champion carried the momentum from the victory and the hurt from losing the 2012 Wimbledon final to Federer, helped carry Murray over the line at the All-England Club in 2013.
For a decade Murray was able to defeat or consistently challenge Federer, Djokovic and Nadal, something no other player was able to accomplish and the quartet created magic throughout the late 2000s into the 2010s.
Andy Murray reacts to his planned Wimbledon statue
Wimbledon’s chairwoman Debbie Jevans confirmed the plans for a Murray statue to be built in 2027, the year of the tournament’s 150th anniversary.
In 1984, 50 years after Fred Perry’s first Wimbledon triumph, he was honoured with a bronze statue at Wimbledon.
In what will be 14 years after his first title at SW19, Murray is honoured with the planned tribute by his most successful Grand Slam.
“I’m very proud,” Murray told the BBC this week. “There’s not many statues around the grounds.
“I always remember seeing the Fred Perry statue when I’ve walked around the grounds and gone to practice there over the years. So it will be very special.”
