He may have faltered at the last hurdle, but Andy Murray stunned the world of tennis – and us – by beating the world's number one, Rafael Nadal, in the US Open.

All right, he got thumped by the reigning champion Roger Federer, but he still has plenty to smile about.

And so do we. Because – and you will probably think this is heresy – I'm glad he lost.

Before you get all outraged, think about it.

If he had won, the Press circus would have kicked into overdrive. He would have been the greatest thing since sliced bread until they found something to criticise. We all know what happens then. Once the backlash starts they have no mercy.

And, let's face it, Andy Murray is not the best at dealing with the Press.

No, he comes over as a bundle of sullen resentment, more Kevin the teenager than seasoned performer.

You can see why. He's a successful tennis player. That's his job and he netted more than £750,000 from his tussle with Federer, thank you very much.

However, handling the Press is a necessary evil and I'm not sure he's quite up to it yet.

He doesn't have the easy charm and PR savvy of Lewis Hamilton or Ricky Hatton. But he will have to learn because he's not just a tennis player any more, he's public property.

We're not used to our sportsmen and women dominating the world stage. Which is why we were so stunned – and delighted – at Britain's Olympic success. The Press ran out of superlatives and, by the end, those poor souls who only managed to grab a silver or bronze were almost regarded as failures. How daft is that?

And as for that poor lass who crashed off her BMX bike – she went from golden girl to zero in an instant.

But it can have its downside. Cyclist Chris Hoy found himself being used as a political pawn in a row over Scotland and the state of the British union.

Luckily, he's older and more experinced than Andy Murray, very articulate and can pretty much handle himself.

He hit back, accusing politicians of cashing in on his and the Olympians' success. And he was right.

They're not politicians, PR people or national spokesmen. They're athletes.

By all means, let's revel in their successes, agonise at their failures – but don't make them something they're not.

Let's leave them to get on with it, hopefully without being vilified in a national Press whose only real motive is to fill column space and increase sales.

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Scientists have been conducting the world's biggest experiment, spending billions trying to recreate the first moments after the Big Bang. They say it will give us a clearer understanding of the universe.

One question. Why? Couldn't they find something more relevant to spend the cash on? Like saving the planet?

It's just a thought.