A few days ago, Andy Murray announced that hip pain may force him to retire before Wimbeldeon in July. Now, the former No. 1 player lost what could be his final Grand Slam match.
Murray played Spain’s 23rd ranked Roberto Bautista Agut in round one of the Australian Open on Monday, and after being down two sets to none, he roared back and won the next two sets. He and Bautista Agut battled in the final set before Bautista Agut prevailed. Murray lost 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (4-7), 6-2.
The loss may not just signal Murray’s exit from the Australian Open, it may very well be his exit from Grand Slam tennis. On Thursday, Murray announced at an emotional press conference that his surgically repaired right hip is so damaged that his surgeon advised him to stop playing tennis. He said that he hopes to make it to Wimbledon, which is where he’d like to officially retire, but he’s not sure he’ll be able to play through another four or five months of pain.
After the loss, Murray said: “If this was my last match, it was an amazing way to end. Maybe I’ll see you again. I’ll do everything possible to try. If I want to go again, I’ll need to have a big operation, which there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to come back from anyway, but I’ll give it my best shot.” Murray left the door open to a possible return later this year, or perhaps a return later down the road if he’s able to completely recover after surgery.
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