"I deserve to give it until the very last moment" - Andy Murray maintains air of uncertainty over 'complicated' Wimbledon participation
Andy Murray feels that he deserves to be given time until the last moment to decide whether he will play at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. The two-time Wimbledon winner recently underwent a surgery to remove a cyst in his back, which has jeopardized his participation at SW19 this year. Earlier this year, Murray had expressed his intention to call time on his illustrious career after the conclusion of the ongoing season's summer swing.
There has been raging speculation surrounding Murray's 2024 Wimbledon hopes after the former World No. 1 retired during his second-round match against Jordan Thompson at the recently-concluded cinch Championships at The Queen's Club in London. Things were further compounded when news of his back surgery surfaced, along with unsubstantiated claims that he had been ruled out of this year's Wimbledon.
Murray's mother, Judy, did not take long to hit back, expressing her disappointment in a trusted confidante for allegedly leaking her son's confidential health matters to the British media. Now, Murray himself has opened up on his situation to the Wimbledon Championships. The prestigious grasscourt Major's official X (formerly Twitter) handle shared the three-time Major winner's exact words.
According to Murray, he deserves to take his time in terms of making his mind up over his 2024 Wimbledon participation. The former World No. 1 also made it clear that it is his desire to feature at the grasscourt Major that has made things "more complicated".
"I feel that I deserve the opportunity to give it until the very last moment to make that decision. It's complicated and it's made more complicated because I want to play at Wimbledon one more time," Murray said.
The 37-year-old went on to say that he hopes to go out "playing a proper match" unlike the one against Thompson at Queen's, where he could barely compete owing to his back issue. Last but not least, Murray talked about how "special" it would be if he could partner his brother Jamie in doubles.
"Because of what I put into the sport over the last however many years, I would at least like to go out playing a proper match where I'm at least competitive, not what happened at Queen's. Maybe this is just how it was meant to happen for me. Getting to play with Jamie in the doubles is something that obviously I have never done before. That can be special as well," Murray added.
"All I continue to want is for Andy Murray to have the send off at Wimbledon" - Andy Roddick
Recently, Andy Roddick, another former World No. 1, spoke about how Murray is deserving of a special farewell at Wimbledon considering his achievements at the tournament.
Murray's first Wimbledon title, which came in 2013, marked the first time a British men's tennis player had won the singles title at the grasscourt Major in 77 years. It also cemented his position as the player closest to challenging the dominance of rivals Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. The quartet would eventually come to be fondly referred to as the 'Big Four'.
"All I continue to want is for Murray to have the send off at Wimbledon, because I don't think people understand, even casual tennis fans, how monumental him winning Wimbledon in that country was at the time that he won it. And all I want is for this extended respect, to have that moment to say goodbye on his terms," Roddick said on an episode of the Served With Andy Roddick podcast.
Murray has made the fifth-most appearances in men's singles matches at the Wimbledon Championships over the years (74). Only Boris Becker (83), Djokovic (101), Jimmy Connors (102), and Roger Federer (119) have made more appearances at the Major than the Brit.