Murray unsure if he will be fit for Wimbledon after back injury

Andy Murray says he doesn’t know if he will be fit for what is likely to be his last Wimbledon after he suffered a worrying back injury at London’s Queen’s Club on Wednesday.

The three-time Grand Slam champion pulled out of his second-round match with Jordan Thompson in the cinch Championships, when trailing 4-1, unable to move at anything like usual speed.

Murray had treatment early on for the injury and afterwards, said he would have a scan on Thursday to learn the extent of the issue. But the 37-year-old said he didn’t know if he’d be fit in time for Wimbledon, which begins on July 1.

“I wouldn’t know,” he told a press conference at Queen’s, as reported in the Independent newspaper. “I didn’t get the right side of my back treated after the French Open. All tennis players have degenerative joints in the back but it’s all predominantly been left-sided for me, for pretty much my whole career. I’ve never had too many issues with the right side.

“Maybe there’s something which can be done between now and then with my right side – will have a scan tomorrow and re-check and see what can be done. I don’t know exactly what the problem is. I just know I haven’t experienced that before – the back pain today and yesterday. I don’t know what the procedure will be or what to expect.”

Back has been an issue “for a while”

Murray said his back has been giving him trouble on and off this year.

“I’ve been struggling with my back for a while,” he added. “I had pain in my right leg, no motor control, no co-ordination. And yeah, couldn’t move.

“My back has been a problem for quite a while, it’s been sore in the build-up to the tournament and was pretty sore in my match yesterday and sore through today – but I was able to manage it. It was not comfortable playing, but I was able to manage it.”

“I wish I hadn’t gone on court”

Murray said he would have been better off not playing at all.

“During my pre-match warm-up, I was pretty uncomfortable and then I walked up the stairs to go out on court and didn’t have normal strength in my right leg, not a usual feeling. The first two balls I hit in the warm-up, my right leg was so uncoordinated. My leg was not working properly.

“I wish I hadn’t gone on court to be honest. I didn’t realise until I was walking to go on court. In hindsight I wish I hadn’t gone on there. It was pretty awkward for everyone, nothing I can do.”

Murray has struggled for results this year and has said he is unlikely to play on much past the summer. He is due to compete at the Olympics but nothing is guaranteed.

The Briton won three slam titles, including two at Wimbledon, in a total of 46 titles worldwide, including two Olympic gold medals, in 2012 and 2016. A former world No 1, he had a metal hip inserted in 2019 and has struggled to get back toward the top of the game since.

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