TENNIS

Scot Andy Murray has hit back at John McEnroe’s claim he is not in the same league as the rest of the Big Four by arguing there is more to tennis than just winning grand slams.

Murray begins his grasscourt season at the Aegon championships this week where he is hoping to become a record six-time champion before the start of Wimbledon in a fortnight.

The 30-year-old remains world number one but has struggled this year, slipping behind the likes of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka in terms of form and following Novak Djokovic into an unexpected dip.

It means Federer will arguably be favourite at Wimbledon to clinch a 19th grand slam title, while Nadal and Djokovic are gunning for their 16th and 13th respectively.

McEnroe said that Murray, who has won three major titles, was “still a distant fourth” behind those three.

However, while the Scot admits that rings true for their whole careers, he pointed to his record at the Olympics – where he has won two singles gold medals – and over the last 12 months, as evidence to the contrary.

“For me, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. I’m very proud of the Olympic medals, they mean a lot to me,” said Murray at Queen’s Club yesterday.

Murray added: “If you look at the titles and everything those guys have won, I can’t compare myself to them. There’s maybe one or two things that I have done that they won’t have but, for the most part, I would have been fourth.

“But it’s not true of the last year because I’m ranked number one in the world. I’ve been better than them for the last 12 months, that’s how the ranking systems work.”

Murray will face British number four Aljaz Bedene tomorrow as he looks to recapture the title he won in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 and last year.

Cameron Norrie, 21, could earn a second-round meeting with Murray if he upsets American Sam Querrey, while Kyle Edmund takes on Canada’s Denis Shapovalov.