Sir Andy Murray said he wished his two young daughters had been old enough to see him receive his knighthood from the Prince of Wales.
Murray was dubbed a knight by Charles during a Buckingham Palace investiture ceremony for services to tennis and charity.
He issued a brief statement about the knighthood after the ceremony, saying: “I’m very proud to receive it. It’s a nice day to spend with my family – my wife and parents are here.
“I’d have liked to (have brought) my kids but I think they’re a bit young. I’ll show them the medal when I get home.”
The Scot and wife Kim are parents of three-year-old Sophia Olivia and 18-month-old Edie.
The knighthood was announced in the 2016 New Year Honours, capping a momentous 12 months which saw him win a second Wimbledon title, retain his Olympic crown, named BBC Sports Personality of the Year for the third time, and finish the season as world number one.
Recipients are allowed to choose when to collect their honour, and the delay was due to a combination of Murray’s hectic schedule and the effect of the knighthood ceremony on his career-threatening hip problem.
He announced during a tearful press conference at the Australian Open in January that he plans to retire after Wimbledon this year due to the pain in the
joint.
But after a monumental five-set tussle with Roberto Bautista Agut, where Murray showed he still has the ability and desire to compete at the top level, he said he would do everything he could to keep playing.
Murray, who was 32 on Wednesday, has since had a hip resurfacing operation and begun his rehabilitation.
He sounded upbeat about his tennis prospects last month and is no longer in pain.
The Scot, who is also a Unicef UK ambassador, connected with the wider British public when he took gold at the London 2012 Olympics, beating Roger Federer in straight sets.
A few weeks later he became the first British man to win a grand slam final in 76 years, defeating Novak Djokovic in the US Open.
The player’s career-defining moment came in the summer of 2013 when he ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a male singles champion at Wimbledon.
