Judy Murray among captains for Battle of the Brits Team Tennis

The captains for the Battle of the Brits Team Tennis event have been announced – and Judy Murray is among them.

Murray, the mother and former coach of Andy and Jamie Murray, will serve as one of four team captains for the tournament, which takes place from 27 July-2 August 2020.

The other captains are Greg Rusedski, former British men’s no. 1; Anne Keothavong, former British women’s no. 1 and current Fed Cup captain; and Leon Smith, who captained Great Britain to Davis Cup glory in 2015.

We didn’t want to keep you waiting too long! Please welcome @JudyMurray and @GregRusedski1 to our captain line up! Can’t wait to see them lead the teams next week. There’s going to be some fierce competition, let’s gooooo! #battleofthebrits ???? @sjpwealth pic.twitter.com/N7UW9qdmDJ

— St. James’s Place Battle of The Brits Team Tennis (@BattleofTheBrit) July 21, 2020

Jamie Murray organised the first Battle of the Brits, which was sponsored by Schroders and took place from 23-28 June. The tournament was broadcast on Amazon Prime, and was won by world no. 28 Dan Evans, with Andy Murray reaching the semifinals.

The Battle of the Brits Team Tennis tournament will feature British women players alongside the men, with teams set to compete against each other over eight days with Ryder Cup-style scoring. Sponsored by St James’ Place, a wealth management company, the tournament will be available to watch live on BBC iPlayer.

Judy Murray said:

‘Jamie has forced me to be a team captain in his latest Battle of the Brits series. I think he thought it was time I got back in the saddle.’

The player line-up is not yet confirmed, but Andy Murray and British women’s no. 1 Johanna Konta are expected to feature.

Judy Murray joked:

‘I’m hoping I don’t get Andy because he doesn’t listen to me.’

The former Fed Cup captain also promised that she will have cake for her team.

Captain Game Strong! ????? #battleofthebrits @BattleofTheBrit @JudyMurray @LeonSmith @annekeothavong @GregRusedski1 @sjpwealth https://t.co/v8DkJOeeY3

— Jamie Murray (@jamie_murray) July 21, 2020

Like the original Battle of the Brits, the tournament will be played at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, behind closed doors and with strict social distancing measures in place.

Keothavong said:

‘It’s going to be an incredible opportunity for the younger players to compete in an event like this with our top players. And hopefully during the week, fans will be able to get to know the players better, as they’ll be the faces of British tennis in the years to come.’

The initial Battle of the Brits Team Tennis announcement projected two teams, each consisting of six men and six women, with eight matches across two show courts every day, including singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Teams would accumulate points over the course of the week.

The format and scoring has yet to be confirmed but the four captains are well-known names at the heart of British tennis.

When the event was first announced, Jamie Murray said he was confident that brother Andy and Konta would both be excited to play.