Andy Murray withdraws from Wimbledon singles as Brit prepares for emotional SW19 farewell
Andy Murray has decided not to play singles at Wimbledon this year.
Andy Murray has taken the "very difficult" decision to pull out of the singles at Wimbledon. And the double champion will now say goodbye to his home Grand Slam with his brother Jamie in the men’s doubles.
The Scot, 37, underwent surgery to remove a spinal cyst only on Saturday June 22 and returned to the practice courts days later. Murray played a practice set with Kyle Edmund yesterday and then said he would consult his team and family before making his decision.
But after waking up this morning - and analysing his performance data - the former world No.1 has decided not to play world No.38 Tomas Machac on Centre Court today.
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A statement from his management company read: "Unfortunately, despite working incredibly hard on his recovery since his operation just over a week ago, Andy has taken the very difficult decision not to play the singles this year.
"As you can imagine, he is extremely disappointed but has confirmed that he will be playing in the doubles with Jamie and looks forward to competing at Wimbledon for the last time."
Murray beat Edmund 6-3 2-0 yesterday - and then ended his 90-minute training session by hitting with his coach Jonny O’Mara. His forehand and his serve looked good but he struggled to reach shots deep into this backhand.
“It was alright, yeah,” reported Murray. “It was good. I am going to have a chat with my team now and speak to my family this evening and then make a decision. It is getting better. And the testing and stuff I have done is good. I just need to decide whether it is enough to compete, really.”
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Murray had limped out of Queen’s Club after only 23 minutes of his second round match suffering 'neural pain' in his back and the loss of power and coordination in his right leg. He underwent surgery to remove a spinal cyst on Saturday June 23.
In his pre-tournament press conference on Sunday, Murray said he wanted to feel 'the buzz' of Wimbledon a final time and get 'a bit of closure'. But he warned: “I don't want to be in a situation like at Queen's. I don't want to go on the court and it to be awkward or not be able to at least be competitive.”
His late withdrawal will cause the All England Club to re-jig the schedule and move another match - probably British No.1 Jack Draper - into his slot.
“The schedule is always up for amendment,” said All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton. “The fans will be absolutely desperate to see him play. We will wish him well on getting on court.”
Murray is now set to play potentially his last ever match at SW19 in the men’s doubles with Jamie, probably on Friday evening.
Bolton added: “The first-round doubles we can schedule any time between Wednesday and Friday. Once he decides to retire and we all get the chance to celebrate him, I think you’ll really see how much he has meant to not just tennis-loving public but actually sports-loving public in the UK."
