Andy Murray reveals why he invited Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe to Wimbledon – after she admitted to him she ‘sometimes missed prison’ in Radio 4 interview
Andy Murray has revealed he invited Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe to watch him play live at Wimbledon yesterday because she’d shared how watching him win in 2016 had been a ‘joy’ while she was in prison in Iran.
Speaking after yesterday’s match, the tennis star, 36, said in a press conference that he’d asked her to watch his first round match against Ryan Peniston, which he won in straight sets, because he ‘wanted to invite her to come along and watch the tennis in totally different circumstances.’
Mother-of-one Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 45, who was wrongly incarcerated in Evin prison in Tehran for six years, sat behind the Princess of Wales and Roger Federer in Centre Court’s Royal Box on Tuesday.
Murray said: ‘I’m glad she could make it.’
British tennis star Andy Murray said he’d invited Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe to watch him play on Centre Court this week – after she revealed his performance at Wimbledon in 2016 had given her ‘joy’ while she was incarcerated in Iran
The British Iranian national, who was released in March 2022, had previously spoken to the tennis champ while guest-editing an episode of BBC Radio 4’s Today Show.
During their discussion, Zaghari-Ratcliffe revealed that the tennis player’s Wimbledon victory in 2016 helped her to bond with other prisoners.
Two months into her sentence in July 2016, Zaghari-Ratcliffe says wardens gave her access to two TV channels – one which happened to be showing his matches.
In the interview last year, she also told the tennis star she ‘sometimes misses’ the prison environment and the friends she made in the six years she was jailed in Iran.
In good company: Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 45, sat with the Princess of Wales and Roger Federer on Centre Court
Deep in conversation: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and the Princess of Wales chatting while waiting for Murray to appear on Centre Court
Zaghari-Ratcliffe – who worked as a project manager for Thomson Reuters Foundation – also said she made friends with other inmates while cooking and doing craftwork.
‘When I came out, there were times that I felt like I really missed my friends and missed prison,’ she explained.
‘It’s a very odd thing to say. I don’t know whether people actually can say that you miss prison, but I sometimes think that I miss the environment and my friendships in prison.’
At the time, Zaghari-Ratcliffe was two months into her sentence and had been placed in solitary confinement after being accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government.
In 2022: Andy Murray during his BBC Radio 4 interview with Zaghari-Ratcliffe. The tennis champ called her an ‘inspiration’
Having had no access to any newspapers or books, Zaghari-Ratcliffe explained how she had the choice between watching one channel that exclusively broadcast Iranian soap operas or another that was showing Wimbledon matches.
From her cell in Evin, Zaghari-Ratcliffe watched Andy Murray claim the Wimbledon title for the second time – three years after his first win – against Milos Raonic.
‘I was always a big fan of you, but also there I was in solitary confinement watching the match that you actually won in the end,’
Nazanin told Andy. ‘I can’t tell you how joyful it was and I was ecstatic just to see you win.’
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