The British people seem to get impatient with their sports personalities very soon. No matter which sport those personalities belong to, as long as they are having a good time, they are getting plaudits and just as they go down a little bit, severe criticism starts.
The sportsperson who is experiencing that criticism thing at the moment in Britain is Andy Murray. One year back, the Scot was at the top of the world. He had given the British tennis fans something that they had been waiting for 70 odd years. A year later, he is finding himself on the floor. All the love that was being given to him at the same point of time last year has turned into hatred now. Why? It’s just because he couldn’t defend his crown at All England Club this year.
The disappointment of the fans is totally understandable. But, being disappointed doesn’t mean that you should start using harsh words against somebody who, just about a year ago, had given you a whole lot of joy.
It’s only a game at the end of the day. Somebody has to lose and the other one has to win. Murray is not the only one to have suffered a shocking defeat in his career; the other greats have suffered too. Roger Federer is a good example. He was almost impossible to be beaten at one point of time, but, in the last couple of years, he has lost to a lot of young players. Has he been criticized the same way in Switzerland as Murray is being criticized in Britain at the moment? The answer is no.
Murray is a tough character mentally and he would not let this tough phase get him down and out, that’s for sure. He would bounce back at some stage, but, right now, the Scot needs a bit of support from the British fans.