Murray’s shock retirement call
Andy Murray has announced he will retire from tennis after this year’s Wimbledon.
Murray says he is planning to end his tennis career during the UK summer, but does not know if he can continue playing through his pain until then.
‘‘Wimbledon is where I would like to stop playing but I am not certain I am able to do that,’’ Murray said.
‘‘I’m not sure I can play through the pain for another four or five months.’’
His announcement came at a press conference in Melbourne, as he suggested it would be his last Australian Open.
Tearful, Murray had to leave the room after revealing his hip pain was still ‘‘not great’’, 12 months on from surgery, the Guardian reported.
He insisted he would still try to play at the Australian Open but added ‘‘the pain is too much really. I don’t want to continue
‘‘Wimbledon is where I would like to stop playing but I am not certain I am able to do that. I’m not sure I can play through the pain for another four or five months.’’
playing that way’’.
Murray added that he is considering the option to have further surgery, in a move to ease his hip pain post-retirement.
The former world No 1 added that even ‘‘putting shoes and socks on’’ is causing him pain at present.
Murray’s announcement came after his training session against Novak Djokovic at Melbourne Park, where the Serbian won 10 of 12 games played. Murray is drawn in the first round against the No 22 seed, Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut.
In an Instagram post, Murray had described the effects of a stubborn hip injury with words such as ‘‘demoralising’’, ‘‘hurting inside’’, and even including a picture of himself as a little boy, which read less like a routine medical update than a cry for help.