Andy Murray to undergo back surgery on the eve of Wimbledon as SW19 hopes dashed | Tennis | Sport
Andy Murray‘s hopes of a farewell appearance at Wimbledon are hanging in the balance, with the Scot reportedly poised to undergo back surgery this weekend. Murray has already stated that he is not expecting to play beyond the end of this summer, with this year’s Wimbledon likely to be his last.
His aim of playing at SW19 took a hit earlier this week, when he suffered yet another injury setback while facing Jordan Thompson at Queen’s Club. The 37-year-old only managed to complete five games before withdrawing from the match and undergoing a scan to determine the extent of the problem.
It has since emerged that Murray will need surgery to fix a back issue, with the PA news agency stating that he will go under the knife on Saturday. It means will have just eight days to recover ahead of Wimbledon, which is due to get underway on July 1.
Murray is yet to rule out the possibility of a farewell appearance at SW19 and will be desperately hoping to return to fitness in time to play at the tournament. He issued a concerning update on his condition after pulling out of his match against Thompson, with the injury causing numbness in his right leg.
“I have been struggling with my back for a while,” he said. “Then I had loss of power in my right leg, so loss of motor control, had no coordination. Yeah, couldn’t move.
“My back’s been a problem for quite a while and it’s been sore in the build-up to the tournament. It was pretty sore in my match yesterday and it was sore today, but I was able to manage it. I wasn’t comfortable playing, but I was able to manage it.
“During my pre-match warm-up, I was pretty uncomfortable. I walked up the stairs just before going on the court and I didn’t have the usual just normal strength in my right leg. It was not a usual feeling.
“The first two balls I hit in the warm-up, it was so uncoordinated, I had no coordination. My right leg just was not working properly. In hindsight, I wish I hadn’t gone on there because it was pretty awkward for everyone.”
Quizzed on the prospect of missing Wimbledon, Murray added: “I wouldn’t know. Maybe there is something that can be done between now and then, you know, to help the right side. I will get scans tomorrow and get it rechecked and see if there’s anything that can be done.”