Andy Murray has sympathised with the anguish of Arsenal as they attempt to end their Premier League title drought.
The Gunners are bidding to win the trophy for the first time in 12 years and were favourites but faltered badly and sit six points behind surprise leaders Leicester.
And the Scots tennis star has compared their struggles with his own battle to win a grand slam title, finally doing so in his fifth final at the US Open in 2012 and followed it up with a Wimbledon victory the following year.
The Scot said: "I obviously went through it for a number of years and it's not easy but the only way to do it is to keep working hard.
"If you don't work hard, you aren't going to get there - if you don't try to improve, and if you stop believing. If you really believe in yourself then you're going to get there, I think.
"You obviously have to have the ability to do it as well. It's certainly not easy. Mentally it's obviously challenging. I found that hard myself.
"But, like with the Davis Cup last year, that kind of came a bit out of nowhere. Whereas with the slams, every year I was getting close and it felt like it was going on forever that I wasn't able to win one.
"And that was hard for me because people start questioning you. Every time I spoke with (the press), that's the same question that comes up all of the time.
"You can find yourself getting frustrated with that and you start doubting yourself and you start asking yourself the same questions so it's not easy. You need to be strong mentally and get the best help you can."
Murray's football affiliations lie first with his grandfather's team Hibernian, but he has become an Arsenal fan and occasionally fits in trips to the Emirates Stadium.
Despite his loyalties, though, he has been swept up in Leicester's unlikely story.
"I think what's happening this year in the Premier League is actually good to watch," the 28-year-old said. "A lot of the top teams have been struggling and, as a football fan, it's exciting to see different teams up there challenging.
"You'd expect the top teams at the end of the season to come through and be playing a little bit better than they are just now, but to see Leicester at the top of the league after 28 games and being favourites with the bookies to win it, it's incredible and I like seeing stories like that in sport; genuinely it's great.
"I hope that continues, that it's not so predictable what's going to happen every single year, but it would be nice if Arsenal could put a good run together because it's been a tough few weeks."
Murray was speaking at Birmingham's Barclaycard Arena as he prepares to lead Great Britain in the first defence of their Davis Cup title against Japan.
An interested spectator for Murray's practice session on Thursday was West Brom and Scotland captain Darren Fletcher.
After watching Murray hit with Dan Evans, Fletcher even took to the court for a brief hit and to try to return a few Murray serves.
The 32-year-old is a friend of Murray's brother Jamie, who met him in the United States a year and a half ago when Fletcher was on tour with Manchester United.
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