Rafael Nadal leapt to the defence of embattled Andy Murray on Thursday after the British star was accused of faking injuries on court.

German veteran Tommy Haas said world No.4 Murray exaggerates the effects of injuries in a bid to change the momentum of matches if he isn’t playing well.

His comments came just days after former Wimbledon women’s champion Virginia Wade described Murray as a “drama queen” when he suffered a back injury but recovered quickly to beat Jarkko Nieminen at the French Open.

“Andy is a great guy. In my opinion he never does this to bother the opponent. So, that’s the most important thing. It’s difficult to explain but I really believe in Andy,” said world No.2 Nadal.

“I think he’s a fair guy, a good competitor. I’m 100 per cent sure that he was doing nothing to bother the opponent, to take advantage.”