The pressure is off, that is clear to see. After winning his first Grand Slam final, in his fifth attempt, Andy Murray is a much more calmer man, ready to continue his quest to become the World number one, after his all-conquering last couple of months - where he won the U.S. Open after taking the gold medal at the London Olympics.
The enormous weight on his back is gone -- all of Great Britain's hopes to celebrate a Grand Slam champion in well over half a century finally fulfilled with that epic five-set win over Novak Djokovic in the U.S. Open final.
Now at the Shanghai Masters, Murray is looking to defend his crown, and then propel him to the ATP World Tour Finals, where he will look to add the gloss on a successful and probably career-defining year.
"I hope it (winning the first Major) gives me some more confidence when I'm on the court, that's the one thing that I hope I would have got out of it," Murray told reporters prior to taking part in the Shanghai Masters, where the likes of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will also be on view.
"I mean, I haven't felt so different. I felt, yeah, a lot of relief. It was a big weight off my back at the time. So, getting on the practise court, getting in the gym and stuff, has become a bit easier probably.
"Sometimes when you've had a lot of hard losses, you sometimes question whether doing all that stuff is worth it. When you're on the court practising, always trying to improve, you're not quite getting the results you want, that can be hard."
Murray knows getting to the world number one ranking in men's tennis is no easy feat, and believes if he concentrates on doing his job well and winning the tournaments, he will eventually get there, even with the likes of Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal - two of them already the greatest ever to play the game -- competing for the same top spot.
"You need to focus more on the process and not so much just 'No. 1, No. 1'," Murray said. "I need to concentrate on the tournaments and the events that I'm playing.
"I'll try to do as well as I can between now and the end of the year. If I do that, there's a possibility to possibly get to No. 1 next year."
Murray wants to end the season on a high, with the World Tour Finals his prime focus. "I'm very motivated for the end of this year," he said. "I didn't finish last year the way I wanted at the World Tour Finals because I was injured.
"So I want to make sure I'm fully fit for that tournament and I'm looking forward to it."
However, before all that he will have the task of defending his Shanghai Masters title in China, a tournament and country he clearly enjoys playing in. "I'd say they're very enthusiastic and they're very passionate," Murray added.
"Yeah, I mean, they get very excited around the practice courts and stuff. There's a lot of people come and are at the hotel and stuff.
"I mean, they love their tennis here. Normally towards the end of the week they get excellent crowds for the matches. Yeah, I've always had nice support here."
