Will Andy Murray play at Wimbledon 2024? Brit opens up about injury status in brutally honest press conference ahead of final home campaign
Andy Murray's participation at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships still remains under a cloud of doubt, with barely 48 hours left for his opener at the tournament. The Brit is currently scheduled to take on Tomas Machac in the first round on Tuesday but is yet to confirm whether he will be fit for the battle.
Murray was last in action at the Queen's Club Championships, reaching the second round. An unfortunate back injury there forced him to withdraw from the clash, following which he immediately opted for surgery in his spinal cord.
Afterwards, it was reported that the former World No. 1 would have to skip the trip to Wimbledon, only for him to prove everyone wrong. Showing characteristic determination, Andy Murray is at SW19, practicing and hoping that he will recover on time to make one last appearance at the court where he won the biggest titles of his career.
At the 2013 edition, Murray took down Novak Djokovic in the final, becoming the first Brit in 77 years to win a Grand Slam title. In 2016, he prevailed again, defeating Milos Raonic in the final. In 2012, Murray was a winner at Wimbledon, except it came at the London Olympics, as he beat Roger Federer in the final to bring Great Britain a medal in tennis after 1908.
With such a history at the tournament, it is no surprise that the three-time Grand Slam champion is doing everything in his power to make one last appearance in front of his home fans.
Speaking at his pre-tournament press conference, Andy Murray admitted that the back operation has taken its toll on his body, and that he is still not at 100% in terms of fitness. At the same time, he emphasized that he is getting better every day, adding that he will decide his participation after one final practice session on Monday.
"Since Queen's, it's been a tough ten days. I had a back operation which was by no means insignificant. I've tried to do everything I can to be able to play in this tournament. I don't know if it will be enough: I've been training in the last few days, I played a set today and it went quite well, but I still don't have that feeling of being 100%, especially with my leg," Andy Murray said.
"It's getting better every day, though. Tomorrow I'll play another set, I'll do some tests in the morning and then I'll see how far I am from an optimal perspective. After that, I'll probably make a decision in the afternoon," he added.
The Brit admitted that he did not want a repeat of the situation at Queen's Club, where he went on the court and looked utterly uncompetitive and in pain -- a sentiment his family shares as well.
"I hope that with each passing day the possibility of me being able to play continues to grow. It's impossible to confirm anything, because I would also like to go out there and play at a level that I am satisfied with," Andy Murray said.
"I don't want to be in a situation like Queen's, I don't want to go out on the court and feel strange, feel unable to be competitive. I already spoke with my brother about this, we are aware of the situation. It's not easy for my family either, all the people close to me want to see me playing here again, we all went through this together," he added.
"I want to have another opportunity to play on Center Court at Wimbledon, to feel that adrenaline" - Andy Murray
Andy Murray then spoke about his retirement plans, stating that his idea was to say his farewells at Wimbledon. While the Brit acknowledged that he is still likely to play at the Paris Olympics coming up later this month, he wanted to close the page on SW19 once and for all in the coming days.
For that, the Brit hoped he could get the opportunity to walk out on the Center Court once again and feel again the adrenaline he has felt all these years.
"Everyone has an idea of how they want to end their career: my idea was probably for this to happen at Wimbledon. Obviously there is still the Olympics, but I would love to have the opportunity to play here one more time."
"It's not that there is one specific thing. Maybe, now that the end is coming, I'm looking for closure, to turn the page. I want to have another opportunity to play on Center Court, to feel that adrenaline," Andy Murray said in the press conference.
Finally, Murray also made it exceedingly clear that this year will be his final appearance at Wimbledon, something he was not sure of until now.
"Last year, for example, I didn't think that it would be my last year on tour. I wanted to come back here and play again, whereas this year I have no plans for that to happen. It's coming to the end of my career and I want to have the opportunity to play here again," he added.
In addition to singles, Andy Murray is in the men's doubles draw at the Grass Major as well, partnering with his brother Jamie.