We may never see him back to his best.
Andy Murray’s tennis career was plunged into darkness this week when the two-time Wimbledon champion revealed he may be forced to have surgery on the hip injury that has kept him out of competitive action for six months.
Murray, who was last seen being defeated by Sam Querrey in the Wimbledon quarter-final, has been struggling with a serious hip injury and, while he has the option of continuing his rehab, he is beginning to seriously consider surgery.
However, as the 30-year-old alluded to in a social media update on his fitness, the chances of a successful outcome from the surgery are not as high as he would like.
“Hey everyone.. Just wanted to write a little message on here for anyone interested in what in going through right now.
“Firstly I want to apologise to @brisbanetennis for withdrawing at late notice and to everyone who wanted to come along to watch me play(or lose). The organisers couldn’t have been more understanding and supportive and I’ll always remember that. Thank you.
“I’ve obviously been going through a really difficult period with my hip for a long time and have sought council from a number of hip specialists. Having been recommended to treat my hip conservatively since the US Open I have done everything asked of me from a rehab perspective and worked extremely hard to try get back on the court competing.
“Having played practice sets here in Brisbane with some top players unfortunately this hasn’t worked yet to get me to the level I would like so I have to reassess my options. Obviously continuing rehab is one option and giving my hip more time to recover. Surgery is also an option but the chances of a successful outcome are not as I high as I would like which has made this my secondary option and my hope has been to avoid that.
“However this is something I may have to consider but let’s hope not.
“I choose this pic as the little kid inside me just wants to play tennis and Compete.. I genuinely miss it so much and i would give anything to be back out there. I didn’t realise until these last few months just how much I love this game. Every time I wake up from sleeping or napping i hope that it’s better and it’s quite demoralising when you get on the court it’s not at the level you need it to be to compete at this level.
“In the short term I’m going to be staying in Australia for the next couple of days to see if my hip settles down a bit and will decide by the weekend whether to stay out here or fly home to assess what I do next.
“Sorry for the long post but I wanted to keep everyone in the loop and get this off my chest as it’s really hurting inside.
“Hope to see you back on the court soon ??❤️”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdcSGu6lMYj/
It leaves Murray’s career hanging in the balance. Forced to withdraw last minute from the Brisbane International, Murray’s chances of playing at Wimbledon now look slim.
To those outside of the tennis community, Murray has never been the most obviously charismatic individual. He’s a bit like Chris Froome, but with more frowning and frizzy hair.
Regardless of what you think of him, though, it would be a great shame to see his wonderfully illustrious career, during which he has gone toe-to-toe with some of the sport’s greats in Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, peter out because of injury.
Then again, it’s often been the case that the greatest adversary for many sporting icons has been their own body. Tiger Woods is a prime example in that category. Closer to Murray, though, it’s a telling indicator of the brutal nature of the tennis schedule that there is a good chance that other top players including Milos Raonic, Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori may not make the Australian Open.
Murray, a three-time Grand Slam winner and Olympic gold medallist, has always been one of the gutsiest competitors – and it would be a crying shame if he was defeated by a body ravaged by the intensity of elite sport. It’s difficult not to feel sorry for him.
