By Frank Dalleres
Sir Andy Murray鈥檚 worn shirt from his historic 2013 Wimbledon triumph is expected to fetch more than 拢5,000 at auction later this month.
Murray has signed the Adidas shirt, which he wore when beating Novak Djokovic to become the first British man to win Wimbledon for 77 years.
It is going under the hammer in the Grand Slam Timed Auction of Tennis Memorabilia run by Northampton-based sports specialists Graham Budd Auctions.
Also in the auction is Murray鈥檚 worn cap from the 2013 final, the net from the longest match in tennis history and other items associated with the greats of the game.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no better time than Wimbledon weeks to celebrate tennis history,鈥 said David Convery, head of sporting memorabilia at Graham Budd Auctions.
鈥淭his auction features truly iconic pieces, including Andy Murray鈥檚 2013 Wimbledon Final shirt and cap, the net from the longest match ever played, and a match-used Fred Perry racket 鈥 each item a powerful link to the sport鈥檚 greatest moments.鈥
Records set as sports memorabilia value rises
Rare sports memorabilia has enjoyed a surge in popularity and value, leading to many lots fetching far in excess of their estimated price tag.
Baseball icon Babe Ruth鈥檚 1932 shirt worn for his legendary 鈥渃alled shot鈥 set the current world record last year when it sold for $24.1m.
A Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls shirt from his triumphant final NBA season fetched $10.1m in 2022, when Diego Maradona鈥檚 鈥淗and of God鈥 shirt from the 1986 World Cup also sold for (拢7.1m) $9.3m.
Murray鈥檚 2013 win was his first of two Wimbledon titles and made him the first British man to achieve the feat since Fred Perry. The Scot鈥檚 cap has a guide price of 拢2,500-拢3,500.
The net from the longest ever match in tennis, the 11-hour epic between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut at the All England Club in 2010, is estimated to fetch 拢2,000-拢3,000.
Signed tennis balls from Wimbledon winners Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as well as Murray鈥檚 from the London 2012 Olympics are also on offer.
The auction runs until Sunday 13 July, the last day of this year鈥檚 championships.