Andy Murray will go down as an all-time great of tennis when he calls it a day, of that there is no doubt. However, things have been tough for the former world No.1 in recent years. Beset by injuries, the Scot has struggled through the pain barrier to try and recapture former glories, but as yet to no avail. It has been suggested in some quarters recently that he will be putting everything into being fit for Wimbledon, which would be the last time we ever see him on court, however, after being spotted hitting some balls on a clay court, that may not be the case.
Murray suffered an ankle injury at the Miami Open, which put a huge question mark over his participation in several events for the rest of the tennis calendar. Murray has made no secret of the fact that his time playing on the tour is coming to an end, hinting in recent interviews that he is likely to retire at some point this year. This, whenever a new injury crops up, questions over his future will naturally rush to the surface.
Ankle injury not minor
The recent ankle injury the Brit suffered was also not a minor one. There was not a lot of news directly from the Murray camp, but rumors began swirling of potential surgery. That would have been a hammer blow for Murray and fans alike, as surgery would rule him out of the entire summer season, including the French Open and Wimbledon, so he opted not to go under the knife.
Hopes of a return have been boosted with Murray returning to practice recently, which has been both surprising and encouraging given the initial prognosis was that he would miss numerous weeks. Although he returned to practice, he decided to not take part in the Madrid Open, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be playing on clay this year.
A video of him practicing on the red surface has appeared online, and that would indicate he will take part in clay tournaments, as that is not a surface you practice on unless you are preparing for a clay event. The obvious conclusion most have come to is that they clay event he has in mind is the French Open at Roland Garros.
That prospect will surely delight the French crowd, which hasn’t seen much of the British player in recent years. Since the plan for him is to retire in 2024, it could well be the final time he plays in the tournament, which is likely to also have a played a huge role in his choice to even play at all. Additionally, the Olympics are being held in Paris this year so that is another clay event Murray could target, but that decision will come later down the road. For now, it is about getting fit and enjoying every last drop of tennis he has left in him.
