It seems bizarre, given how much he berates himself on court, but Andy Murray’s top tip for tennis success is ‘be good to yourself’.

Dutch sports journalist Wilfred Genee obtained a list of 10 points Murray repeatedly consulted during his quarter-final loss to Gilles Simon in Rotterdam, and posted a photo of the list on Twitter.

The journalist was heavily criticised on social media for revealing the contents of the note.

• Record breaker Djokovic mauls angry Murray

Murray’s second point reads like the kind of advice a father might give his eight-year-old: “try your best”.

Later, the Scot becomes more tennis-specific, offering advice “try to be the one dictating” and “be intense with your legs”.

Het briefje van Andy Murray. pic.twitter.com/6HGldmBndC

— Wilfred Genee (@wilfredgenee) February 17, 2015

The paper is a valuable lesson to all tennis players, that for all the technical aspects of the game, it is – at it’s essence – a simple sport.

Murray’s tips for tennis success

1. Be good to yourself
2. Try your best
3. Be intense with your legs
4. Be proactive during points
5. Focus on each point and the process
6. Try to be the one dictating
7. Try to keep him at the baseline, make him move
8. Keep going for your serve
9. Stick to the baseline as much as possible
10. Stay low on passes and use your legs