Andy Murray hints he could have surgery on hip even if it risks missing possible Wimbledon farewell

Andy Murray has strongly hinted that he will opt to have another surgery on his hip – even if it means jeopardising a potential farewell match at the All England Club.

A major factor in his thinking is that his gutsy exit from the Australian Open on Monday night was an appropriate sign-off to his career, should that prove to be the case.

Asked which route he would take (surgery or waiting months to get ready for Wimbledon) he replied: ‘Probably to have the operation.’ The reason was satisfaction with the way he competed against Roberto Bautista Agut, nearly pulling off a scarcely believable comeback before losing in five sets.

‘If that was my last match, if I got smoked tonight I would have been like ‘S***, I don’t want that to be the last match that I play’,’ he said. ‘ But because of the way the match went and actually how I finished the match, I literally couldn’t have done any more than what I did.

‘My hip is screwed anyway so it’s not like that match is going to make it any worse than what it is. So if I took a few months off and didn’t play, I could definitely get myself on the court to play Wimbledon one last time.

‘But the first option (surgery) makes my life a lot more comfortable and enjoyable.’ Murray, whose second go at surgery would not take place in Australia, relishes the idea of a statue being built in his memory at Wimbledon, admitting : ‘It would be nice, yeah. Be nice.’ 

Murray bowed out in the first round of the Australian Open with a heroic five-set display

But his mother Judy believes he will go on to have far more to offer beyond memories of his achievements on the court. While unsure of exactly how his life will play out, she is sure that he will play a part in bringing on new talent.

‘The good thing with Andy is that he’s so willing to share his experiences and his advice with others, and particularly the younger generation that are coming through,’ she said.

‘Hopefully he can help them and their coaches and parents not to make the same mistakes, to get more things right. It kind of hammers home, I think, the importance of having the right environment and the right people around you at the right time and the importance of investing in quality expertise.

‘That would certainly be my message for British tennis – invest in people at all stages and areas of the game so that we have tennis-specific experts at every level because our sport has completely different demands than rugby or cricket or whatever.

‘I think Andy has got a lot of options. He’s a really smart guy, he’s interested in a lot of things and I think he’d be a great coaching mentor. I think Jamie would be as well – they both read the game very well, they communicate very well.

Judy Murray believes her son has plenty of different options if he decides to retire

‘Andy did a little spot of commentating during Wimbledon last year and he seemed to have done a good job with that too. He’s interested in property, he’s got the hotel in Scotland, he’s got Seedrs (start up companies), so he’ll not be short for options.’ 

She found the tension of watching him on Monday night a less traumatic experience than the twenty months he has been suffering from serious hip problems.

‘I think it’s very hard as a parent to watch your kids struggling with anything, especially if they are physically hurting. Also to know that there isn’t really anything you can do to help them, that’s really hard.

‘I’ve always been a big believer in encouraging your kids to make your own decisions, step in if you realise they are going to make a huge boob, particularly when they are younger. You want them to be strong enough to make those decisions for yourselves.

Murray showed typical grit and fight but ultimately lost to Roberto Bautista Agut

‘I think when you are surrounded by a lot of people who have been with you on the journey, it is maybe a little bit harder because you feel like you are letting everyone else down, but in actual fact you are not because it is only about you. It can only be about him.’ She will be focusing on trying to bring to life her vision for a tennis and sports centre near their hometown.

‘Surely you want something that says the Murray Tennis Centre, come and see, that tells the story of the boys or whatever,’ she said.

‘It would be great to say that here’s the legacy from what Andy and Jamie have achieved.

‘The worst thing would be that it doesn’t happen and we’ve got nothing to show for what we’ve done, because I am not seeing anyone else doing anything, and you have to prepare for a legacy.’