World No 1 not fretting over history of buckling in Aussie Open final

Andy Murray insists he does not have a mental block when it comes to the Australian Open, despite losing the final of the season-opening Grand Slam five times.

The 29-year-old world No 1 - whose season opened with a loss to Novak Djokovic in last week's Qatar Open - told The Times in an interview he had also pondered whether he should accept the knighthood he received on New Year's Day.

Murray, who is in Australia preparing for next week's Aussie Open, is adamant he no longer has issues over tournaments he has yet to win.

"I don't feel like I have mental hurdles now," he said. "I feel like I'm past that, to be honest.

"I just show up and give my best to win. So long as I give my best effort, I don't judge myself or feel like I've failed here (Melbourne) or anything like that."

Murray said he conferred with those closest to him - but not his brother Jamie - over whether to accept the knighthood when he was offered it in the middle of December.

"I spoke to a few of the people closest to me. I didn't have too long, but obviously you think about something like that because I do feel like it's obviously a big honor to be offered that, but it comes with maybe a little bit more responsibility," said Murray, who had a memorable 2016 becoming Britain's first tennis No 1 of the professional era, winning Wimbledon and defending his Olympic title.

"I'm still very young, I'm still competing and obviously I don't want anything to distract me or affect my performance on the court.

"I kept it fairly quiet and just spoke to the people that I was closest to and explained what the situation was. I just tried to get the best advice possible."

Murray is clear, though, how he wishes to be addressed by his rivals on the circuit.

"A few of the players have been chatting to me about it and asking how it works, what does it mean and what do we call you," Murray said.

Murray, whose win in the 2012 US Open was the first in a Grand Slam by a British tennis male tennis player since Fred Perry in 1936, said another thing that has changed as he has matured is how he reacts to personal criticism.

"When you are comfortable with who you are, someone saying that you're boring or miserable or whatever it is, it doesn't affect you like it does when you are younger and you are still not sure of yourself," said Murray.

"When you grow up in the spotlight and you don't know exactly who you are or what you're going to become, that's probably a bit more difficult."

Murray, who said he likes to organize his schedule so he can see his daughter Sophia and wife Kim every couple of weeks, received a flood of congratulations when he became No 1, but phone messages left by two sporting giants were particularly meaningful.

"I got one from Alex Ferguson and one from Jose Mourinho," said Murray.

"That was pretty cool. I obviously watch a lot of football and they are two of the most respected and best managers in one of the hardest sports to succeed in at the highest level. That was pretty nice."

Such is Murray's affinity for soccer, he said he would like to be involved in the sport when the day finally comes to put away his racket - although he would also like to coach a British player.

"I would like to do something in football," said Murray, whose grandfather Roy Erskine played for historic Scottish club Hibernian in the 1950's.

"I watch loads of it. I am into my fantasy sports a lot, and football is at the top of my list."

As the top two seeds in Melbourne, Murray and Djokovic will be on opposite sides of the men's draw and seeded to meet each other in the Jan 29 final.

Murray, who lost to the Serb in the 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016 Aussie finals, trails Djokovic 25-11 in their encounters, but the Scot dominated the second half of last year.

In contrast, Djokovic's season imploded after a third-round loss at Wimbledon, followed by a first-round exit to Juan Martin del Potro at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and a loss to Stan Wawrinka in the US Open final.

With six Melbourne championships under his belt, Djokovic will make history as the player with the most Australian Open victories if he manages to win the tournament again.

A seventh triumph would vault him past Australia's Roy Emerson, who also won six titles - but all of those came during the amateur era of the 1960s.

Five who could deliver Down Under

Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic will be big favorites for the Australian Open when it opens in Melbourne on Monday. Here are five contenders who could challenge the world's top two.

Milos Raonic

The tall, serious Canadian ended 2016 as world No 3 as he continued his steady rise up the rankings, and it is surely only a matter of time before he wins a Grand Slam. Raonic, 26, laid down a marker for the season at last year's Australian Open when he ousted Stan Wawrinka before falling to Murray in a thrilling five-set semifinal in which he was hampered by injury. Six months later, he reached his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon before losing to Murray again. Raonic rounded off the year with a last-four spot at the ATP World Tour Finals in London and he heads into 2017 with a new coach, former Wimbledon winner Richard Krajicek.

Stan Wawrinka

"The Stanimal" is riding high after winning his third major at the US Open and the powerful Swiss has the tools to triumph in Melbourne, as he memorably proved in 2014. Wawrinka has forced his way into tennis' upper echelon in the past three seasons, but at age 31 he faces the challenge of staying there - and even improving - as a group of younger players matures. The world No 4 with the vicious, one-handed backhand appears to enjoy the conditions at Melbourne Park and it was a surprise when he lost to Raonic in the last 16 a year ago.

Roger Federer

The superlative Swiss has lost none of his popularity but, at 35, only his most ardent fans rate him as a leading contender for the Australian Open, where he will be making his 69th Grand Slam appearance. Federer is feeling his way back after a six-month injury layoff, the longest of his career, which he ended with a mixed performance at the Hopman Cup team tournament in Perth last week. Federer does not seem to be contemplating retirement, however, and remains stubbornly optimistic of a last hurrah to add to his record 17 Grand Slam titles. His ranking has dropped to No 17 after his long absence, meaning he faces a tougher draw.

Rafael Nadal

Like Federer, Nadal's aura and results are on the wane and it has been more than two years since he won a major, at the French Open in 2014. The 30-year-old Spaniard didn't make it to any of the Grand Slam quarterfinals last season, and his tally of two tournament wins was his lowest in 12 years as he dropped to ninth in the world. Nadal has won only one of his 14 major titles at the Australian Open, when he beat a tearful Federer in an epic, five-set final in 2009. He will look to improve on 2016, when he was sent packing by Fernando Verdasco in the first round.

Alexander Zverev

Wawrinka dubbed Zverev the "future of tennis" after losing to the German in last year's St Petersburg final, and it is a label that seems apt for the 6-foot-6 19-year-old. He is already ranked 24th and has two victories over Federer, most recently at the Hopman Cup. What's missing so far is a deep run at a Grand Slam tournament, and Zverev was unlucky to come up against Murray in the first round in Melbourne last year. This time around, he will be under close scrutiny for signs that he is making good on his vast potential.