Time has not been kind to Andy Murray, who has sacrificed his body to the pursuit of excellence within the sport of tennis.
The immense physicality of his game once upon a time has since taken its toll, and now the Great British tennis star is far from the relentless runner and stunning shot-maker he once was.
Tennis fans have not forgotten just how good he was though, and it is a testament to his quality that the 37-year-old is widely recognised as the unofficial fourth member of the big three, with his career likely to have boasted far more major titles were it not for their presence.
He, above all others, has been thwarted the most by this legendary trio. His efforts to keep up with them, as he often did quite admirably, have today left his physicality ravaged.
But, with Wimbledon just a few weeks away now, it was pleasing to see him back in action at the French Open and more recently Stuttgart, even if both tournaments resulted in first-round exits.
Now, he has provided a much-needed fitness update to ease fans’ worries, after Andy Murray suffered an injury in Miami which once again threatened his career.
Andy Murray provides injury update
Murray has not been fortunate with injuries, particularly throughout the twilight of his fine career.
A longstanding hip ailment, which required major surgery in 2019, would have put most players into retirement.
But this steely Scotsman is not like other players, and his recovery and subsequent return was remarkable.
He may not be challenging for titles like he used to, but the mere fact that he is playing alone is miraculous.
And, as he has just told The Telegraph, his fitness remains ahead of next month’s Wimbledon, as he noted: ‘I’ve had some tough months, but physically I feel OK just now – the ankle, the back. It’s all felt better since going onto grass.’
The Last Dance for Andy Murray at Wimbledon
Whilst those who support the Scotsman are under no illusions about the likelihood surrounding his chances of going deep at Wimbledon, to hope for a strong showing remains justifiable.
That is, despite Murray having really decimated everyone’s expectations, with a string of truly heartbreaking performances which have seen him win just five matches on the ATP tour in 2024.
That’s not to suggest that there have not been some fine performances though, and a battling defeat to Andrey Rublev as well as a solid victory over Tomas Etcheverry at Indian Wells and Miami respectively showcased glimpses of his quality.
However, his fitness simply is not there anymore, and across five sets that is likely to be woefully exposed.
So, at this point, all fans can really hope for is a solid showing, and hopefully at least one final win at Wimbledon for his home crowd to cheer on.
It will almost definitely be his last dance, with the Olympics to follow soon after, before Murray then likely calls time on a truly outstanding career.
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