Sir Andy Murray shares thoughts on his children as major concern is revealed

Andy Murray has become the latest prominent tennis figure to speak out on the issue of online abuse, following Katie Boulter’s recent disclosure that she’s received disturbing messages and even death threats via social media.

In response, Murray has pledged to keep his four young children—ranging in age from four to nine—off social media for as long as possible, highlighting concerns over its potentially “damaging” impact on mental health.

Speaking to the BBC, the 38-year-old said he fully supports Boulter for speaking up:
“I think it’s positive any time someone can raise awareness. It’s great that Katie opened up about it.”

While athlete abuse online has been discussed for years, Murray pointed out that little has changed and hopes more meaningful action will be taken soon.

When asked what solutions might help tackle the issue, Murray admitted:
“To be honest, I don’t know.”

He added that both he and his wife are making a conscious decision to keep their children away from social media until they’re older, citing the toxic environment and long-term mental health risks.

Murray also acknowledged the complexity of the problem, questioning whether responsibility lies with governments or tech industry leaders like Elon Musk:
“I don’t know who should step in—governments, or platforms like X. But someone needs to stop these kinds of messages reaching people.”

He concluded by noting that while athletes are often the focus, the issue affects many people and is closely tied to the broader, complicated debate around freedom of speech.