The tennis player on injury, being too hard on himself and sitting in silence with his wife

Andy Murray: ‘I went from world No 1 to not being able to walk’

Born in Glasgow, Andy Murray, 32, turned professional in 2005. In 2012 he took gold at the London Olympics and won the US Open. The following summer he won Wimbledon. In 2016 he took the title again and also triumphed at the Rio Olympics. This January he had hip surgery, but June saw a return to form, when he won the Queen’s Club doubles with Feliciano Lopez. Murray is hosting a game at the American Express Fan Experience at Wimbledon this year. He is married with two children and lives in Surrey.

What is your greatest fear?

It freaks me out when I can’t move my body. It started when I scored a goal in football and everybody jumped on top of me to celebrate. It also happened when I got rolled up in a gym mat and couldn’t move my arms or my legs.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

I’m too argumentative and too hard on myself.

What is your favourite word?

Carnage.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

In 2014, when I was down 6-0, 5-0 in London to Roger Federer, and nothing like that had happened to me since I’d been a professional. You are in the middle of a court with 20,000 people in the stadium hoping for a competitive match and that’s not happening. I felt extremely self-conscious.

What makes you unhappy?

Until recently, hip pain.

What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?

I was walking to play a match at Wimbledon when I was about 19 and someone said, “Oh that fucking Scottish wanker just walked by.” At the time I was struggling to deal with attention, and it hurt quite a lot.

What is your most unappealing habit?

I bite my fingernails and the skin around them.

What is your favourite smell?

I love paint and petrol.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

There’s only one answer to that because it could end in divorce – my wife.

What does love feel like?

I am happy to sit in silence with my wife and I think that is a good sign – we are just happy being in each other’s company.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Ricky Gervais, Barack Obama and Muhammad Ali.

What has been your biggest disappointment?

Professionally, when I lost my first Wimbledon final. I am also disappointed I didn’t learn Spanish when I lived there.

When did you last cry, and why?

Driving home on my own, thinking about the last 18 months, which have been really difficult, and getting back to playing tennis again without any pain in my hip. It was happy crying.

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What keeps you awake at night?

Overthinking.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

To enjoy the good times, because you never know what’s around the corner. When I had this issue with my hip, I was ranked No 1 in the world and, in the space of a week, I went from competing at the highest level to not being able to walk any more. I was pretty miserable for quite a long time.

Where would you most like to be right now?

Where I am, sitting with my team on the tennis tour.