"While Andy Murray was in 'The Big Four', they kind of underrated him a little bit" - Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig

Despite being a part of the Big 4 of men's tennis, Andy Murray was not given the same recognition as the other three players, according to 2016 Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig of Puerto Rico.

Due to his three Grand Slam titles and two Olympic gold medals, among other achievements, Murray has been hailed as the fourth member of the exclusive club, alongside Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Apart from spending 41 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings, the Brit has accumulated 46 singles titles so far since turning pro in 2005.

Speaking to Sky Sports, retired player Puig remarked that among the Big 4, Murray was the least appreciated by fans. She added that although the 35-year-old lacked the flamboyance of Federer and Nadal, he always remained consistent.

"While he was in 'The Big Four', they kind of underrated him a little bit because he was the one who was very consistent," Puig said. "He didn't have anything super flashy like Federer or Nadal had but he was always there and he was always in that top four. He was always pushing. He was one of those people that when you would go on the court, you would expect a battle."

Puig further stated that the former World No. 1 would never be beaten easily and that he made his opponents work extremely hard.

"You know that he's not going to give you any free points. He's going to make you work for everything. Mentally, he's going to show you that he's always there and that's one of his best qualities," she added.

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Monica Puig lauds Andy Murray's consecutive Olympic medal wins

Andy Murray at the 2016 Olympics

To date, Andy Murray remains the only player among the men to win two singles Olympic gold medals. He defeated Roger Federer in the finals of the 2012 London Olympics and Juan Martin del Potro at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Among the Big 3, Rafael Nadal is the only one to have won an Olympic gold medal — in 2008.

Monica Puig stated that she always wanted to be consistent like Murray.

"I've watched him play numerous times. I always wanted to be as consistent as him because it always looks like he never misses a ball," Puig said. "For somebody to win two Olympic gold medals in a row, that is huge within itself."

"I just have a lot of respect for him as a player, for everything that he's gone through with his injuries. I, unfortunately, had to end my career due to injury but he's still there, still giving it a shot," she added.

Andy Murray has received a wildcard for the ATP 500 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, to be played from February 27 to March 4.