World number three Andy Murray said that he feels lesser pressure now when it comes to competing at the big stages like the Grand Slams since he has become a Grand Slam champion himself. The British number one won the US Open last year to secure his first career Grand Slam title and won his second at the Wimbledon Championships 2013.
“I think there is less pressure, he said. “Before the first match there will be nerves there. I expect to be pretty nervous because it’s a new experience and it’s different.
“But I think once the tournament gets going, I don’t think it changes. I don’t think it changes too much. There was a lot of pressure on me for a lot of years to win a Grand Slam, and then same sort of thing at Wimbledon. I wouldn’t imagine it would be the same here.”
Murray revealed that he arrived in New York earlier to practice for the Grand Slam event which begins on Monday, August 26. Murray has had a lackluster North American hardcourt season which saw him exiting in the third round of the Montreal Masters and losing in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Masters last week.
“We got here fairly early, so I have had a lot of time practising on the courts and getting used to the balls and the conditions,” he said. “It hasn’t been too different, just probably 10 percent, 15 percent busier than normal.
“Because I have been busy I’ve tried to just keep pretty low key and spent a lot of time in the hotel room, unfortunately.”
Murray will face Frenchman Michael Llodra in the first round of the US Open.
