OUR ANDY WOULD BE A GREAT COACH, SAYS MUM
A NDY MURRAY has strongly hinted that he will opt to have more surgery on his hip — even if it means jeopardising a potential farewell match at Wimbledon.
A major factor in his thinking is that his gutsy exit from the Australian Open on Monday was an appropriate sign-off to his career, should that prove to be the case. Asked which route he would take (surgery or waiting months to get ready for Wimbledon) he replied: ‘Probably to have the operation.’
The reason was satisfaction with the way he competed against Roberto Bautista Agut, nearly pulling off an amazing comeback before losing in five sets.
‘If that was my last match, if I got smoked tonight I would have thought, “I don’t want that to be the last match I play”,’ he said.
‘But because of the way the match went and how I finished it, I literally couldn’t have done any more than what I did.
‘My hip is screwed anyway so it’s not like that match is going to make it any worse than it is.
‘So if I took a few months off and didn’t play, I could definitely get myself on the court to play Wimbledon one last time.
‘But the surgery option makes my life a lot more comfortable and enjoyable.’
Murray, whose second go at surgery would not take place in Australia, approves of the idea of a statue in his memory at Wimbledon, saying: ‘It would be nice, yeah. Be nice.’ But his mother Judy (left) believes he will go on to have far more to offer beyond memories of his achievements on the court. While unsure of exactly how his life will pan out, she is certain he will play a part in bringing on new talent. ‘The good thing with Andy is that he’s so willing to share his experiences and his advice with others, and particularly the younger generation,’ she said.
‘Hopefully he can help them and their coaches and parents not to make the same mistakes, to get more things right. It kind of hammers home, I think, the importance of having the right environment and the right people around you.
‘Andy has a lot of options. He’s a really smart guy, he’s interested in a lot of things and I think he’d be a great coaching mentor.
‘I think Jamie would be as well — they both read the game very well, they communicate very well. Andy did a little spot of commentating during Wimbledon last year and he seemed to have done a good job with that too.
‘He’s interested in property, he’s got the hotel in Scotland, so he’ll not be short for options.’
Judy found the tension of watching him on Monday night a less traumatic experience than the 20 months he has been suffering from serious hip problems. She added: ‘I think it’s very hard as a parent to watch your kids struggling with anything, especially if they are physically hurting.
‘Also to know that there isn’t really anything you can do to help them, that’s really hard.
‘I’ve always been a big believer in encouraging your kids to make their own decisions, step in if you realise they are going to make a huge boob, particularly when they are younger. You want them to be strong enough to make those decisions for themselves.’