Judy Murray: female tennis players need to talk about Kim Kardashian

Female tennis players should talk about the Kardashians in order to attract girls to the sport, according to Judy Murray.

Rather than give interviews about tennis, women in the professional game should chat about fashion, celebrity and reality television, she said.

Kim Kardashian is a fan of tennis - she last played while on holiday in Mexico, wearing a nude strapless bikini and full face of make-up - but not necessarily the first person one thinks of as motivation to take up sport.

However, setting out her plan for getting more girls into tennis, Murray said: “Female tennis players need to be encouraged to raise their profiles in other avenues than on the sports pages of newspapers.

“If you have an engaging personality or you can show that you are interested in the Kardashians, or fashion, things that other girls like, then you are far more likely to engage with a female audience. Girls are much more image-conscious at a younger age. It’s almost like they grow up too soon.”

Speaking to Radio Times, the mother of British number one Andy Murray said female players “have to understand the business of being a professional athlete. If your marketability is going to be significantly increased by engaging yourself and being seen more by fans - and more potential sponsors - then that is what you need to do.”

However, in the same publication, British number three Heather Watson - who has been coached by Murray - said fashion and make-up were the last things on her mind.

“I actually love wearing sports clothes, having my hair tied up in a bun, not wearing make-up and I think more girls should feel comfortable in their own skin and not  have to cover themselves in make-up all the time,” she said.

“I do love putting make-up on but you don’t have to wear it every single day and you don’t have to change your body to look like pictures you see on the internet.”