Andy Murray undergoes hip surgery, set to return during grasscourt swing
What’s the story?
Former World No. 1 Andy Murray underwent a surgery on his right hip on Monday morning in Melbourne, Australia in a bid to relieve himself of the stubborn injury that has plagued him for the last six months.
The three-time Grand Slam champion announced the news on his official Facebook page, thanking his doctor and the staff at the St Vincent Hospital, where he went under the knife.
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The 30-year-old hasn’t been able to play on the Tour since succumbing to a five-set defeat at the hands of Sam Querrey in the quarter-finals of the Wimbledon Championships last July.
The heart of the matter
The British No. 1, who has now slipped to a lowly 16th spot in the world rankings, was hoping to make his comeback from a six-month hiatus at the Brisbane International. But after playing a few practice sets with top players at Brisbane, Murray decided to withdraw from the tournament shortly before his opener as he failed to reach the desired level.
Murray later put up an emotional post on his Instagram account, detailing the recovery procedure and explained to fans why he pulled out. He talked about opting for rehab on the advice of top hip specialists and hinted that he might consider surgery if the rehab does not work out well anymore.
On Thursday, the two-time Wimbledon champion pulled out of the season’s opening Major, where he has been a five-time runner-up. Murray’s next course of action wasn’t clearly known then as he only said that he will be flying home to assess all options.
It was only today that the Scot broke the news of his surgery on social media.
What’s next?
Murray is targeting a successful return to the ATP Tour during the grasscourt swing that begins in June.
Author’s take
Murray will surely be missed by his fans and peers alike. But surgery was the only plausible option for the Briton as his rehab couldn’t help him heal fully from the persistent injury.
Here’s hoping that the tennis ace makes a full recovery and is back to his competitive best when he returns.