"I called my mum that night and told her I was moving to Spain" - Andy Murray recalls his frustrations of growing up alongside Rafael Nadal
In his formative years, Andy Murray was so envious of Rafael Nadal's training regimen in Mallorca that he once called his mother about moving to Spain to experience the same.
Murray and Nadal have known each other since they were young. They have faced off several times over the years, starting with junior competitions even before turning professional.
In a recent interview with Hello Magazine, the Briton recalled an incident where he thought about shifting to Spain after becoming frustrated with the 22-time Grand Slam winner's work ethic and the exposure he got in his homeland.
"Rafa and I are good friends and we have been since we were young. We've grown up in competition together and hearing about his training set-up in Spain was a pivotal moment for me. He was able to practice so much more than me and hitting with Top 100 players when he was 14/15, I knew instantly I would have to change my set-up in the UK, I called my mum that night and told her I'd made my mind up, I was moving to Spain!" Murray said.
Andy Murray and the Spaniard are good friends despite sharing a fierce rivalry. They have played each other 24 times over the years, with Nadal 17-7 in the head-to-head record.
"I love playing as part of a team" - Andy Murray on competing at the Laver Cup
Andy Murray will be competing at the Laver Cup for the first time this year, where he will be representing Team Europe. He will be joined by Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Matteo Berrettini is listed as the alternative and is expected to replace Federer for the singles matches.
Standing in their path is Team World - Taylor Fritz, Diego Schwartzman, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alex de Minaur, Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock. Tommy Paul is their registered alternate.
Speaking about the Laver Cup, Murray said that he loved being a part of a team as tennis can often be a lonely sport for singles players. He expressed that he enjoys playing events like the Olympics and Davis Cup where he gets to be a part of a team.
"I love playing as part of a team. As singles players, we don't get to do it enough in my opinion and tennis can be a lonely sport at times. I really look forward to competing in team events like the Davis Cup and the Olympics. This is my first time playing at the Laver Cup, I've heard good things and I'm looking forward to teaming up with some of my rivals," Murray said.