Sir Andy Murray speaks out on mental health and helps Echo reporter's fundraiser

SIR Andy Murray has stressed the importance of being mentally right for tennis.

Murray lined up for the 1,000th match of his illustrious career at Queen’s this week.

And, when asked about the psychological side of the game by the Echo, the Scot said: “It’s really important.

I guess it’s sort of two separate things.

“There’s the kind of mental side of things on the court, the mentality and the way that you’re dealing with stressful situations in the matches and everything.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily the same thing as your mental health away from the match court.

“There’s a performance state you want to get into and then also how you deal with the highs and lows of the wins and losses.

“Day-in, day-out there’s the training and travelling and being away from friends and family so you obviously need to take care of as well.

“Certainly for me I think away from the court throughout my career I have always been pretty good.

“I’ve obviously at times been very, very disappointed and, definitely when I had my hip issues, I was in a pretty bad place for a while.

“Maybe I didn’t really realise it at the time.

“But it’s important for all of the players to take care of themselves.”

Murray was speaking about mental health ahead of the Echo’s chief sports reporter Chris Phillips undertaking another tennis themed fundraiser for South East and Central Essex Mind.

Donated - signed Sir Andy Murray cap (Image: CHRIS PHILLIPS)

A week on Saturday, Chris will be walking 35 miles between all 16 tennis clubs who play in the Leigh & Westcliff League and he will also be playing tennis at them all.

Murray has donated a signed cap to the fundraising event and Chris can be sponsored here.

Chris raised £14,011 for Mind by playing tennis for 11 hours non stop last summer and since been shortlisted for the LTA President's Award.