A TEARFUL AND injury-plagued Andy Murray has announced he is likely to retire this year and hopes to make it until Wimbledon, but conceded the Australian Open could be his last event.
Murray was in tears at Melbourne Park on Friday as the five-time Australian Open runner-up revealed the year’s opening Grand Slam could be his last tournament due to a troublesome hip injury.
The 31-year-old and three-time major champion — set to face Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round — played just 12 matches in 2018 after undergoing hip surgery at the start of the year.
An emotional Murray, who briefly left the news conference to compose himself before returning, told reporters: “Not feeling good. Been struggling for a long time… I’m not sure I can play through the pain for another four or five months.
“I’ve pretty much done everything that I could to try and get my hip feeling better and it hasn’t helped loads… I think there is a chance the Australian Open is my last tournament.”
Murray, who struggled against world number one Novak Djokovic in a practice match on Thursday, added: “I can play with limitations. But having the limitations and the pain is not allowing me to enjoy competing or training.
“Wimbledon is where I would like to stop playing but I am not certain I am able to do that.”
Ahead of a huge weekend of Heineken Champions Cup action, Murray Kinsella, Andy Dunne and Gavan Casey assess the provinces’ chances of putting a foot in the last eight:
Heineken Rugby Weekly on The42 / SoundCloud
Subscribe to our new podcast, Heineken Rugby Weekly on The42, here:
