Andy Murray risks missing Wimbledon, could consider early retirement
Tennis
By
Mirror
| May 09, 2018
Confusion surrounds the fitness of Andy Murray as fears grow that the Olympic champion is in danger of missing Wimbledon.
The former world No.1 is contracted to make his return from hip surgery at a grass-court tournament in the Netherlands next months before playing the Fever-Tree Championships at Queen's Club.
But the Scot, who went under the knife in Australia in January, has given no information on his progress.
And in the vacuum of official information, his absence from the practice court and at Challenger events in Glasgow and Loughborough has led to claims he will not be fit to play at Wimbledon in July.
Murray played his last match at SW19 last year – and a full 12 months out of the sport will leave him without an official ranking.
The last 10 months have been a desperate struggle for the now former British No.1. He pulled out on the eve of the US Open, played an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi before withdrawing just before the Brisbane International.
He underwent hip surgery in Melbourne and targeted a return to action for the grass-court season. The last update in February said he was ahead of schedule in his recovery and he hoped to return to the practice court in March – and perhaps return to competitive action before the grass.
The LTA then announced the two new Challengers events on hardcourt with the hope that Murray would play.
But Murray, who had a training block in the South of France last month, has since disappeared from social media apart from a cryptic photo of him painting and has not been training at Wimbledon.
In an interview with the Washington Post last month after he announced he would play in the Citi Open in August, Murray hinted he was struggling on his return.
“This time’s been harder,” said the Scot, who turns 31 next week. “There’s been a lot more ups and downs this time. It’s been longer and a lot more complex than the back issue [in 2013].
"Having been through a back injury and a difficult surgery before helps, but the back injury was easier because I was back on the court competing quite soon afterwards.”