Just as he did two summers ago in 2013, before pulling off the greatest triumph of his career, Andy Murray goes into Wimbledon with the Queen's Club title under his belt.
Murray has again teed himself up perfectly for what lies ahead, securing a record-equalling fourth title here. He had to put in an impressive double shift to do it, too, beating Viktor Troicki 6-3 7-6(4) and Kevin Anderson 6-3 6-4 in the same afternoon.
However, he feels he is playing even better than when he ended Britain's 77-year wait for a male singles champion at SW19.
"You just have to improve; otherwise I wouldn't still be in the same position," said Murray. "I was ranked three of four in the world around that time and I'm still there just now.
"Sport and life and everything moves on. If you don't continue to improve and get better, there is going to be people that will take your spot.
"So I feel like I have improved. Physically I'm definitely in a better place than I was then. Obviously I was having problems with my back around that time. Not so much on the grass but on the other surfaces.
"I feel like I'm using my variety very well just now, something that maybe I wasn't the last couple of years. That's been good for me. More experience, more matches. There are a few things I'm doing a little bit better."
Murray's record with new assistant coach Jonas Bjorkman by his side now stands at 9-0, but the world No.3 made sure to give credit for his improvement in 2015 to Amelie Mauresmo, who is expecting her first child in August and was absent this week.
The Frenchwoman has been in contact with the Scot throughout the tournament, however, and will return on Monday to work with the team for Wimbledon.
"There has obviously been a good start with him [Bjorkman], and hopefully that continues," added Murray. "I'm not going to stay undefeated with him forever, but I also have to give a lot of credit to Amelie, because a lot of the work I have done with her is paying off.
"All of the things I have worked on with her, like using my variety is something I have spoken about a lot in the past, that's things I have been working on with her for quite a while now. Hopefully a combination of the two of them will give me more success. It's been a good start.
Andy Murray gets his hands on the Queen's trophy for a record-equalling fourth time. pic.twitter.com/LJotRvJTiY
- Nicolas Atkin (@natkinESPN) June 21, 2015
"I have spoken to Amelie a couple of times on the phone. I spoke to her on the way home from the match with [Gilles] Muller or [Fernando] Verdasco. I can't remember. We message most days. Well, actually, every day, as well. She arrives tomorrow evening."
Murray and Troicki's rain-hit semi-final resumed at 11am after play had been suspended on Saturday, with the Scot seeing off the Serbian in a total of one hour and 38 minutes.
Just a couple of hours later, Murray was back on court to face Anderson, who had enjoyed a full day of rest following his semi-final win over Gilles Simon, which had been first on Centre Court on Saturday. But the British No.1 swept aside the challenge of the big-serving South African in just 64 minutes, racking up his 34th career title in his 50th final.
Murray now joins John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick at the top of the tournament leaderboard here, and knows perfectly well the wonders that winning Queen's can do for the confidence going into Wimbledon fortnight.
He added: "It's great preparation, but I think it has only happened six times where someone has won Queen's and gone on to win [Wimbledon]. There are no guarantees that winning here gives you a Wimbledon title. I need to go out there and earn it. I need to train well the next five, six days, prepare as well as I can.
"It's a great start to my preparation on the grass. It gives me that little bit of confidence going in there. It's been a really good start, but it's a long way to go before Wimbledon even starts, and then all sorts of things can happen during slams."