Hitting Back by Andy Murray

I
was only joking, but I think some people took me seriously.
    That evening we flew back to Edinburgh, with me feeling
better and more relaxed that I'd ever known. Then we walked
through the arrivals door at the airport and I realised how
much life had changed. Gran was there, Leon was there, even
Abby my dog was there, but so were about ten photographers
and television crews, all waiting for me. There were more
photographers at my house when I got home. I thought it was
a little bit over the top for a junior. I hadn't seen anything yet.

Apparently I couldn't wait to get on my
feet, so they strung me up

    I could scowl even back then!

    Family holiday in France with friends. Dad in green, Mum in grey, Jamie in navy
and me, aged three, in my Scotland goalie top

    Looking good in my kilt aged four
at Aunt Lynne's wedding

    On holiday in France with Jamie.
I'm told I made this face every time
someone aimed a camera at me

    At Dunblane Sports Club with Jamie when
I was six. Check out the Agassi denim shorts
with the pink lycra underneath!

    Primary One at Dunblane Primary School

    Trying my hand at cricket aged six
wearing my Hibs goalie top

    Chilling with Nina, my gran's dog

    Watching Jamie
play football
aged seven

    At the Hibs Kids
Fun Day at Easter
Road (aged five)
with striker
Gareth Evans

    Glad my backhand
footwork has
improved since
I was eight

    Gladiators Day at
Gleneagles Hotel.
Note I was knocking
Jamie off the blocks!!

    With mum and Jamie at
the tennis club aged nine

    About to take
off on another overseas
trip aged eleven

    Looking
good in my new Adidas
tracksuit aged eleven

    Me and my gran with my Orange
Bowl Trophy in December 1999.
She never did give it back!

    Orange Bowl Champion

    With my coach Leon Smith

    Grinding it out at the National 14U
Championships in Nottingham, 1999
    ( Inset) School photo –
First year at Dunblane High

    My eleventh birthday bowling party with Jamie and some pals,
followed by McDonald's. Pretty sure I won

Chapter Four:
The 100 Club
    I almost didn't make the 2004 Sports Personality of the Year
show because I was stuck in a toilet. This is true. It was hardly
the most glamorous start to my celebrity life. I was due to pick
up the award for Young Personality of the Year – Wayne
Rooney had won it the year before – and within about an hour
of show starting I was stuck in a hotel bathroom behind a door
that was completely jammed. My friend was trying to prise it
open from the other side with a two-pence piece. He couldn't
do it. He called reception and a guy came up with a wrench
and he couldn't do it either. Obviously we were laughing at the
start but gradually it didn't seem so funny.
    On top of that, we were already late. I had been playing in a
Futures event final in Spain that afternoon. Within seconds of
the match finishing – I won – I had to rush for the airport with
two huge bags and jumped on a plane. It was a tiny local
airport in the north of Spain and the tournament director had
to phone to ask them to hold the flight for me. I only just made
it and when I got to Heathrow I somehow managed to come
out of Terminal 1 instead of 2 where my mum and an old pal,
Matt Brown, were waiting for me. By the time I found them
and was escorted back into Terminal 2 by airport security to
reclaim my bags, it was already 5pm and we had to be at the
BBC Centre for 7pm. We took a cab to the hotel, grabbed
something to eat and went up to the room to get ready.
    I went for a quick shower, put my suit on – no cufflinks!
Had to call down to the concierge and borrow a pair. Went
back into the bathroom for a final brush of my teeth and
couldn't get out! I was stuck in there for about twenty minutes,
sweating buckets, before the guy from reception went away,
came back with a knife and finally opened the door. I flew out,
leapt in a cab and made it just in time.
    It was pretty cool but also quite nerve-racking to receive my
award from Boris Becker. I tried to remember all the advice