World tennis number two Andy Murray has announced that he has set up his own tennis event, Andy Murray Live presented by SSE, to help raise money for charity.
The unique event, taking place on Wednesday 21st September at the SSE Hydro Glasgow, was the brainchild of Murray, who wanted to build a legacy tennis event in the UK whilst raising valuable funds for two charities.
Tickets go on sale today, with half of all seats costing £25 or less, making the event very accessible for all.
The City of Glasgow will play host to this new event where the evening will feature a Singles and Doubles match with all profits going to local Glasgow charity, Young People’s Futures and UNICEF, the world’s leading children’s organisation, of which Murray is a UK Ambassador. The former Wimbledon and US Open Champion and current Olympic gold medal holder will play Gael Monfils, the flamboyant Frenchman in the Singles. For the Doubles, Andy will be joined by his brother, World Number One Doubles Player, Jamie, to play against Monfils and British Tennis icon, Tim Henman.
The evening will mark the first ever tennis event staged at the city’s state-of-the-art SSE Hydro, which topped the Billboard Venue Chart globally earlier this year.
Murray said, “It’s great to be returning home to Scotland and playing in the city of Glasgow. I travel the world playing tennis and unfortunately I don’t spend as much time as I would like to at home. I owe it to my fans who have supported me throughout the years and what better way than to play in front of them at The SSE Hydro whilst raising money for Young People’s Futures and Unicef. I’m looking forward to bringing top-level tennis to Glasgow on an annual basis and making this event bigger and better every year.”
Presenting partner, SSE’s Head of Sponsorship and Reward, Colin Banks added, “We are proud to be partnering with ‘Andy Murray Live’, which will see world-class tennis played at The SSE Hydro for the very first time. The success Andy has had on and off the court is unprecedented and he is a wonderful ambassador for British sport. We’re looking forward to what promises to be an incredible event, and we’ll also be offering our customers the chance to win some incredible experiences ahead of the day.”
Joe Aitken, Head of Major Events, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau commented, “We’re delighted that Andy has chosen to launch this inaugural event in Glasgow. The city enjoys an enviable reputation as a top 10 global sports city with a worldclass events portfolio and a state-of-the-art arena in the SSE Hydro. We’re also a city of hugely supportive tennis fans as our hosting of the Davis Cup has shown, so Andy, Jamie, Gael and Tim can expect a thoroughly warm welcome and I’m sure they will enjoy playing in front of a packed home crowd on the night.”
Lily Caprani, Unicef UK’s Deputy Executive Director said: “Andy has provided vital support for Unicef’s work for children for a number of years, most recently raising awareness and much-needed funds for children affected by the Syrian conflict through his campaign, Andy’s Aces. We are very proud to announce that Andy has been appointed a Unicef UK Ambassador and this latest initiative is an example of his continued commitment to help children in danger. The money raised through ‘Andy Murray Live’ will help us provide life-saving food, clean water, vaccines and health care for children in emergencies, as well as education and protection from violence, exploitation and abuse.”
Ann Lawrance, Young People’s Futures, commented: “Young People’s Futures are overwhelmed and so thankful to Andy Murray for choosing our project from many Scottish charities. Our team are so excited to be linked to the UK’s top sportsman and world number two. We are pinching ourselves at the thought of this opportunity. We can’t thank Andy enough for his support and look forward to what could be a life changing prospect for YPF and the Possilpark community.”
Tickets, from only £20 including VAT (plus booking fee) are available to purchase now: online at www.thessehydro.com; by calling the ticket hotline on 0844 395 4000, or in person from the main box office at the SECC. For accessible area tickets, please call 0800 952 0110 or for group bookings, please call 0844 395 4010. The event is being presented by SSE with host city Glasgow, and other official partners including Standard Life, Under Armour, Jaguar and the Wimbledon Foundation.
For more information about ‘Andy Murray Live’ presented by SSE and hosted by the City of Glasgow, go to www.andymurraylive.com.
