Remember how embarrassed you could be by your parents when you were a teenager?  How about if your mom had a newspaper column about you?

From The Telegraph: Andy has discovered the downside of being on his tod

Andy has not been home to Scotland once this year. He went back to his training base in Barcelona on New Year's Eve last year and has been either training or competing since then. This is just one of the many sacrifices he has to make as he attempts to reach the top in tennis and I know that there are times when he feels fairly lonely at tournaments around the world.

He loves life at the Sanchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona where he has lived for the past three years and has a great circle of male and female friends there, all like-minded young tennis players, but he has been on the tour since May and so has not seen them for months.

This cannot have been easy, and though he keeps in e-mail contact, I know how much he would have loved to have celebrated last week's achievements at the Thailand Open with his gang of friends instead of being on a 14-hour flight from Bangkok to London...

The difficulty is that Andy is 18 and has only been playing on the main tour for a few months and, so far, does not really know any of the older players well enough to socialise with. At the very top level events, you will not find too many players socialising with each other. Most of the top players travel with their own entourage. It is such a competitive individual sport that you cannot afford to get too close to someone you might be facing over the net the next day. And so, you play your match, you shake hands, you go back to the locker room, then to your hotel room...

If he can keep his ranking inside the top 100, he should be able to spend more time with the other teenagers on the tour. He was having a laugh in the locker room at the US Open with Rafael Nadal, the world No 2 and the French Open champion, and with Richard Gasquet, the French teenager. The three of them have known each other since the under-12 European circuit. Andy is also quite friendly with two other teenagers in the top 100, France's Gael Monfils and Serbian Novak Djokovic, having known them for several years, too...

I asked him about the beauty queen who presented him with the bouquet in Bangkok. "So what was Miss Universe like then?" I asked. He replied: "She wasn't actually that great up close, mum." And I told him that she probably thought the same thing about him. I am hoping that Andy will invest some of the money he earned in Bangkok on a haircut and a sideburn shave. Just in case he happens to meet any more beauty queens.

Comments

I love the part about the haircut and shave.

You must be sooooooo proud of Andy today!!!!!!!

Must have been really tough beating a Hero & a friend. I felt Andy had mixed feelings here, but an amazing achievement!

Congrats Andy!!!! Also 'Team Andy' too.....

Unbelievable to have got so far from the 'Queens' debut!

Wow!!!!!!!

What next?

Hi Judy

Long time no see. I know the ideal coach for Andy. Absolutely serious. Hope you are Ok.

Harvey Becker

07875 356476

I'm afraid Andy has made himself deeply unpopular with his anti-English remarks, all the tennis fans I know who have followed his progress claim they will boo him off the court next time he plays. In fact there is a concerted effort on many message boards for a hate campaign against him.
Its very unfortunate that he should have made such remarks,I dont think they will help his career.

Judith

To add insult to injury (message clearly not received or accepted) regarding A. Murray's dislike of the English, why on earth compound the brattish antagonism by wearing a Saltire wristband on court at Wimbledon!! Was anyone else wearing a national symbol? More evidence of the overblown opinion some Scots have of their paradise north of the Border.

Judy Murray must be very proud of her son's achievments.
His Roddick match was superb - he has a lot to build on.
Scots are very proud of their country.....but in view of the whole (I think unecessary furor) World Cup thing on Andy's website - maybe it would have been more diplomatic to wear a less nationalistic emblem on his wristbands hat etc.
But he's a teenager and thats what teenagers do!

Just to say all the best to you and both your sons in 2007,they have brought the passion and fun back into Tennis and I love the way Andy growls at himself and shoutes at his racket.We would like to go to the Barcalona open,as we live in Spain,wheres the best place to get tickets......thanks

Know you'll not remember me, but I certainly wont forget speaking to you at Wimbledon just after Andy won his fantastic match against Andy Roddick. Remember we spoke about the Scottish flags in the sky made by the planes?? You were so proud that day and I just cant imagine how you are feeling today after his latest triumph!!! Best of luck for tomorrows final!

What a pushy mum....I hate Judy Murray. She is a stuck-up bitch.