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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 12, 2016

Andy Murray

Indian Wells, California

A. MURRAY/M. Granollers

6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What were the conditions like? Looked like a tricky wind from one end or both ends?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, it was tough because obviously the ball travels through the air pretty quick here. And then it was very windy, so blowing from -- so the end we walk on to the court from you were playing into the wind. It's such a huge contrast from one end to the other because of how the air is here.

So when you're playing with the wind it's really flying on you and you feel like if you barely touch the ball it's flying a lot. Then from the other side, you know, it's completely opposite. You really need to give the ball a big, big hit to get it deep.

And, yeah, much different conditions to what I have obviously been practicing and playing in in the last five weeks against a, you know, tough sort of unorthodox player. He's got quite a different game. He's very smart player, as well, intelligent player, and often makes the right decisions. Yeah, made it tough for me.

Q. In respect to the climatic conditions, is this the most difficult place to play tennis?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah. I mean, in terms of the quality -- I mean, I guess for everyone it's different. I mean, obviously I haven't necessarily played my best here over the years, but I think because the conditions are extremely lively and the balls here are so, so fast, that I don't know.

Maybe the quality of tennis isn't as high as it is in other places when it's a bit slower. I think when the conditions are calm, you know, I think the quality of tennis is high. But when it gets windy here it can be difficult to play really well, I think. It does make it challenging.

Q. A little bit of a different question. In Melbourne, you spoke out on the issues relating to gambling. The other day you spoke your mind pretty courageously, some would say, about the situation with drugs. We know your mom speaks her mind. We know that you have spoken out on issues in Great Britain. Does it give you satisfaction just to speak what you feel are your own views, your own wisdom? Where do you think that comes from?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah. I mean, I think if there is something I care about, then I actually, you know, spend a lot of time researching and reading about it and feel like, you know, I have strong opinions on those things. It's something I really care about.

When there isn't, then, you know, I'll say like, I don't really know or I don't have an opinion on it.

But, yeah, I don't know exactly why that is. The things I spoke about this year, I think they're huge, sort of huge stories. But also, it's so important to keep the sport sort of integrity, by when there is an issue, you have to address it immediately and you don't just let it sort of get a little bit worse over time until it becomes just a huge thing and the whole sport is riddled with, whether it's gambling or doping or whatever.

You need to address it immediately. I think unless people speak out about it and talk about it, then that's kind of what happens. I try to speak my mind on those things.

Q. I'm no expert on it, but were you pleased or satisfied with the way your mom just navigated through the traditions and British tennis and the different associations? Was that something that gave you satisfaction?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, obviously I saw like my mom -- I mean, whether she's good at what she does or not, you know, I'm obviously going to be bias, so not the best person to ask. But I do know she always worked incredibly hard in all of the jobs that she did.

I could get up at any time of the night and she was so off and like on her e-mails and working at 3:00, 4:00 in the morning. She didn't sleep much. You know, she's quite sort of stressed out in general because of that. (Laughter.) She does work extremely hard, and she really, really cares about British tennis.

So when something is not being done properly or correctly, then, you know, she will speak out on that. You know, I think she knows because she's seen all of the different -- she's seen the sort of grassroots stuff and she's also now been around the top of the game, as well, and seen all different parts of it.

She has a pretty, I think, good view on things. And, yeah, I think she's done a lot of good for British tennis, in my opinion.

Q. We know some players are into I think collaboration with their brands with the colors. I was wondering, since you signed with Under Armour, you're wearing a lot of black and white since you have started with them. Have you told them like no colors?
ANDY MURRAY: No. That was actually more their decision. To be honest, I'm actually more interested in the actual performance of the clothes. Like sort of the undergarments that we wear, the compression stuff is fantastic and really, really good.

When I've met with them and spoken to them also about the shoes, you know, it was all about performance. That was the thing that I have really liked about working with them, is that they were more into that side of things and not necessarily the design of the clothes and how it looked.

I think the clothes look solid, but they are quite different to what a lot of the other companies are like. Yeah, they do focus more on the way the clothes perform. I like it.

Q. I know you're a boxing fan. Did you have a chance to see Mike Tyson? He was on the grounds today. Were you a big Tyson fan? Give your thoughts on Bradley-Pacquiao fight and also the Kahn-Alvarez fight.
ANDY MURRAY: I think the Kahn-Alvarez fight is incredibly -- it's a huge decision for him I think to take that fight. He goes in as a huge underdog, you know, stepping up a couple of weights against a young guy who has only lost once against Mayweather.

I think it would be a very, very tough fight for him to win. He obviously believes in himself, otherwise I don't know why he would have taken that fight.

I didn't see Mike Tyson on the grounds. I wasn't actually aware that he was here. But, yeah, he was obviously a very dangerous guy in the ring and extremely, you know, I think intimidating for his opponents. I was obviously very young when he was fighting, but I saw a couple of his fights towards the latter stage of his career.

And then the other one you asked me was Bradley and Pacquiao. Yeah, I mean, that will be an interesting fight, I think. First time they fought was obviously close. Maybe the wrong decision, but, yeah, I think likely to be Pacquiao's last fight. I think there has been quite a lot of rumors of him retiring.

I guess when someone has made their mind up to retire, you never know where they're going to be at mentally. So it will be a good fight.

Q. You just mentioned your clothing endorsements. Do you see yourself at all as a brand because of the various endorsements that you might have?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't really know exactly what that means exactly. (Smiling.) But, yeah, no, I don't think so. I have never really thought of it like that. A lot of the times when I was younger and I would go into meetings with management companies and stuff, they always kind of talked about sort of building a brand. Wasn't so much something that I was that interested in, really.

Q. I believe I read that you brought Jamie Delgado on to your coaching team, correct?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah.

Q. Wondering what benefits you're hoping to get out of that. I know it's early days, but...
ANDY MURRAY: Well, there was a number of reasons. I wanted to have a coach spend a lot of time with me on the road who was basically at all of the tournaments with me. Obviously last year with AmÃ©lie and Jonas, they are splitting a lot of the time and I wasn't really having any real continuity on the coaching side. It was sort of two weeks with one, one week with the other, you know, and then maybe a week of training in London on my own.

I didn't have anyone near -- well, in London where I live. Having someone like Jamie who is like 20 minutes up the road from me, it just means that every time I'm home and I'm training, obviously now having a kid and probably spending more time at home is good for me to have someone like him around, you know, 35, 40 weeks of the year, to have that continuity.

I also think he's done a very good job in his other coaching role which he had with Gilles Muller. I think he did well there. He still hits well. He was a very good player himself. He's been around sort of the tour for a long time, really since he was like 18 years old. He was very good at a young age.

So, you know, never quite broke through as a professional, but he was always around the Challenger Tour and close to the tour level, so he's got a lot of experience.

Q. You watch a lot of tennis. Do you have any explanation for why the men's matches often tend to follow form, but on the women's side it looks like anyone can win?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't know if it does. I think there are a few more upsets in the women's just now, but I think that happens on the men's, like before, with players like Graf and Seles.

Q. I mean at the moment.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, at the moment I think it's just a little bit more open. I mean, Serena has obviously done loads of winning over the last few years and hasn't been too many upsets with her, barring the last couple of slams obviously.

I think for men, because it's easier to hold serve because the serve is more powerful, that when you're in a leading position it's easier to serve out a set because of that. Obviously when you get nervous maybe at the end of a set and you're not getting free points and you're having to hit five or six shots, you know, that makes it harder, for sure.

I think that's probably the reason, because it's, you know, it's a little bit easier to serve out matches and serve out sets as a guy. Right now I think the reason there is maybe a few more upsets is because the levels are more similar. I think the top few players on the men's side have been winning a majority of the tournaments for quite a long time, and the women's, when Serena is not playing, you know, it's a bit more open.

Q. Obviously Roger is not here. He's been so durable and usually around. This is the first time for a few weeks he's not going to be on the tour. Wondering if he has such a big presence in the game in so many different ways if you feel that lack of his presence here in any way, or if you're just doing your own thing.
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, I think tournaments obviously miss it when he's not there. He's played great tennis here over the years.

You know, as a player, I mean, most of the tournaments I play during the year he's there. But there are also probably half of them where he isn't that I play. For me, I'm used to playing tournaments when he isn't around.

I do think he will recover well because I think he's been very intelligent over the years with his scheduling and looking after his body. I think by the looks of things - I have seen some videos of him hitting a few balls and heard he had been practicing for a little while already - but smart to give himself the time to recover, and I'm sure he'll be fine.

Yeah, I think all tournaments when he's not there miss him, because the fans love watching him. He normally is in the latter stages of the events and tends to play exciting matches with the best players, as well.

It's tough for the tournament when he's not here.

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