It's time to put tribalism aside and support Andy Murray, says Tim Henman

Henman does think, though, that perceptions towards Murray are changing as the Scot starts to feel more at ease in front of a camera and as the public start to get to know him a little better.

After beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final of the AEGON Championships on Monday, Murray had the crowd in stitches when he told them: "For those who skipped work to come today, I hope your bosses didn't catch you on the TV."

Henman said: "I think his popularity is growing, he's a different sort of personality to me. It's amazing, how many people came up to me on Monday, after he won Queen's and said to me, 'wow Murray has a sense of humour!' His support is much stronger and better than it was when he first started out. I've known him since he was little so I've known a very different side to him.

"He has been unfortunate in some of the ways he has been portrayed. When you are that good, that young, you can take all the media training in the world but nothing prepares you for being in the public eye.

"In society we are not great with change, people had got very comfortable supporting me and then Andy came along and had a different attitude and people weren't sure about that. But I feel it is slowly changing and support towards him is growing. Andy understands, though, that it is not a popularity contest, he is there to win."

One man who knows how tough winning one of the four Majors is 11-time Grand Slam winner Bjorn Borg.

Murray is without a full-time coach, and while Borg does not necessarily think he needs one, he believes speaking to former Grand Slam champions may help him break his duck.

"He needs someone to work on small details in his game," said Borg. "You need someone there, to guide you through the tough times. It's important for him to talk to other people and find out other players' experience. He knows deep inside what to do but if he wants to come to me, I would be more than happy to talk him through a few things. When he chooses his coach it is important he gets it right."

Borg, who along with Henman is an HSBC ambassador, thinks Murray has a good chance at Wimbledon but is not his favourite for the title.

He said: "The thing is, playing here there is just too much pressure, it is his dream of winning here in London, but I've not seen him in a better mental state than he is in now.

"I am really happy that Murray has looked more confident in the last month. He has been playing unbelievable tennis and of course he has a great chance to win the tournament and many other Grand Slams. My favourite would be Roger Federer, though, because he played his best ever clay tournament at Roland Garros this year. Yes, he lost in the final to Rafael Nadal, but on his favourite surface, grass I think he has the best chance."

Murray was the only Briton to win a match in either the men's or women's singles last year. But Lawn Tennis Association chief executive Roger Draper has told his critics to judge the state of British tennis on more than just what goes on at SW19.

He said: "If I judge myself on the first day at Wimbledon every year it's like playing Russian roulette."