“I’m not 100 per cent sure” – Andy Murray casts doubt on Olympics participation
The former world No 1 is the only men’s player in history to have won back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the singles event
Andy Murray has cast doubt on his participation at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
The three-time Grand Slam champion had previously highlighted the Olympics as one of the events he wanted to prioritise playing over the next few months, alongside Wimbledon.
Murray is widely expected to retire later this year, having said in February that he doesn’t plan on “playing much beyond the summer.”
Now the former world No 1 has revealed that he is uncertain about whether he will in fact play at Paris 2024 given the physical difficulties he experienced over the clay-court swing this season.
The fact it looks doubtful that Murray will be picked as a doubles team for Great Britain is also a contributing factor. Currently, the only men’s doubles team listed to enter the Olympics for Great Britain are Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski.
“I need to see what happens with the Olympics,” Murray said, following a first-round defeat to Marcos Giron at the Stuttgart Open.
“I’m not 100 per cent sure what the situation is there with the doubles yet and whether or not I will play if I just get in the singles. I don’t know.
“My body didn’t feel great playing on the clay in the last month or so. I had quite a few issues with my back, so I don’t know if I would go just for singles.
“I need to wait a little bit and see on that.”
Observers have theorised that the Olympic Games, where the Scot is a double gold medallist, would provide a potential exit ramp for retirement should Murray decide he does not have enough to give to the North American hard-court swing later in the summer.
With that in mind, Murray’s doubts over his participation in Paris 2024 raises the possible prospect of Wimbledon being his final tournament.
Murray is due to play at Queen’s before what is widely expected to be his final Wimbledon campaign next month, where he will play alongside his brother Jamie in the men’s doubles for the first time in his career at SW19.