"I Lost Confidence": Andy Murray Tells of His Broken Then Repaired Relationship with the Media
For a long time, Andy Murray wore a mask. That of a focused champion, sometimes perceived as cold or distant.
But behind this image hid a deeply conflicted relationship with the media, which marked the early years of his career with a hot iron.
Young Murray, too frank for the media circus
At the start of his career, Murray wanted to be himself. Spontaneous, direct, sometimes awkward. But this authenticity, in a world where the slightest misstep is scrutinized, did not go over well.
"Some things I said were exaggerated and controversial. It was exhausting."
Criticized, attacked, often caricatured, Murray then saw his confidence in the media melt away.
Withdrawal into himself: "I closed myself off"
Faced with this spiral, Murray chose the most protective option but also the most costly on a human level.
"I lost confidence in the media and ended up closing myself off, speaking little and only thinking about playing."
A vicious cycle. The less he spoke, the more the media interpreted, fueling distrust.
The metamorphosis: a new context, a new freedom
Today, Murray is no longer the young prodigy observed under a microscope. His career is over. The noise has subsided. And so has he.
"Today, however, the context is different."
