Andy Murray deletes Twitter from phone during Wimbledon to avoid discouraging comments

'Twitter is not always the most pleasant place to hang out'

Murray instead says he prefers to spend time in the company of his family who are encouraging (Getty)

Andy Murray has said he tends to delete Twitter from his phone during big competitions such as Wimbledon to avoid discouraging comments.

The 29-year-old Wimbledon and Olympic champion, who is the world number two, said he steers clear of the social media site after difficult or disappointing tennis matches.

Murray instead said he preferred to spend time in the company of his family who are encouraging and keen to boost his self-esteem.

“I normally delete Twitter from my phone during the big competitions,” he told The Sun.

“If there is something I want to read about on Twitter then I just Google it, so I don’t read anything about myself. What’s the point?”

“Obviously there are a lot of people who give you support, but Twitter is not always the most pleasant place to hang out, so you try to avoid it as much as you can.”

Murray said he had been on Twitter once in the last three months to see the response to the Marcus Willis’ match.

“The thing that is important at times like that, after a tough loss or a disappointing defeat, is to be around the people you like, your family,” Murray said. “They are the ones who are hurting with you and who really care about the result and make you feel better.”

“It is tempting [to go on Twitter] because that is the kind of world we live in now. Social media now, everyone is on it, it’s huge. But there is a time and a place for it. I think when you have lost a difficult match it’s best to stay away.”

Murray's remarks follow Heather Watson's recent admission that she used social media as a form of self-punishment after she was defeated by Annika Beck in a tough three-set match on Thursday (30 June). Watson hit out at internet trolls for not being brave enough to confront her face to face.