Murray says 'Don't call me Sir Andy' – but Australian commentators refuse not to

Tennis star admits he would find it awkward if other players start using his new title

Murray will be referred to as ‘Sir Andy’ by Australian commentators during matches at the Australian Open, but says he would be happy to be called Andy in post-match interviews (Getty)

While he was happy to accept his recent knighthood, Andy Murray has said there is no need to call him “Sir”.

The Wimbledon champion and world number one begins his campaign to win his first Australian Open title on Monday.

Australian broadcaster Channel Seven has announced it will refer to him as “Sir Andy” during commentary.

But the 29-year-old Scot said: “I’m more than happy just being Andy. That’s enough for me.

“Yeah, if they call me Andy that’s cool. I’d be happy with that.”

The Melbourne tournament will be Murray’s first since being knighted in the New Year’s Honours list, and his first as world number one since he toppled Novak Djokovic late last year.

Murray told reporters he hadn’t noticed a difference in how anyone treats him since receiving either of his new titles.

“It kind of happened for me right at the end of the year, so I haven’t been on the tour much as the number one player,” he said.

“So I haven’t noticed it yet. I don’t know if that will come over time, if I’m able to stay there or not.”

After a raft of honours was handed out to sportsmen and women, some questioned whether it was right to bestow titles on young athletes who are still competing.

Murray admitted to having reservations about accepting the knighthood, not for any political reasons, but because he thought it might “distract” him from his goals of remaining world number one and winning more grand slams.

“I got it when I woke up in the morning, just saying that I had been offered and [asking if I] would like to accept,” Murray said in an interview with The Times.

He decided to accept after speaking to his wife, his mother Judy and other people around him, but admitted he would find it awkward if fellow players began to refer to him as “Sir Andy”.

“Obviously you think about something like that because it’s a big honour, but with that comes a little bit more responsibility. I’m still very young, I’m still competing and obviously don’t want anything to distract me or affect my performance on the court,” he said.

And while Murray has two Wimbledon titles and one US Open under his belt, he would dearly love to get his hands on the Australian Open, having lost out in the finals five times.

Last year’s tournament was particularly testing for Murray, with his wife Kim heavily pregnant at home with their first child and his father-in-law collapsing while watching a match.

“Yeah, it was tough, and certainly not a position I would want to put myself in again, or my wife, or any of my family really,” said Murray, who bolted for the airport immediately after losing the final to Djokovic in straight sets, worried that he would miss the birth of his daughter.