ANDY Murray has revealed he has been studying how the mind works in a bid to prevent his on-court meltdowns.

 

The tennis ace said he had been reading up on cognitive research after becoming concerned his mindset was affecting his game.

He says the swotting up has given him a better understanding about what causes him to launch into foul-mouthed tirades during matches.

Murray lost the Australian Open final in January to Novak Djokovic after berating himself on court and later admitted he allowed himself to get distracted.

The world number three said he suffered from no anger management issues in his personal life and confessed his on-court behaviour was the one thing he didn't like about himself.

He said: "I've been trying to learn a lot about how the brain and mind work in certain situations over the last couple of years, because when I do that on the court, I do that to myself. It's the one thing that I don't like about myself.

"I'd like to stop that and I've been working very hard. It's one of those things that when it happens, after the match I'm quite down about it because I am not being good to myself.

"I feel like I work very hard and prepare well, do all the right things and I should cut myself some slack when I'm on the court.

"It does happen to athletes all the time but I have a better understanding of why it happens and I'm working on it. It's something where in comparison to when I was younger, it's much, much better."