Andy Murray has withdrawn from the early stages of the European clay court season and will continue to weigh his options as he faces a race against time to adapt after tearing ankle ligaments at last weekend’s Miami Open. Wimbledon.
In his final year on tour, Murray appears to be planning to start his longest clay-court season since the hip problem began, playing on all the big venues for the last time. He has now withdrawn from the Monte Carlo Masters, which starts on April 7, just over a week away, and the Munich ATP 250, which starts on April 15.
Murray suffered a complete rupture of his anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), as well as damage to his calcaneofibular ligament (CFL) and ankle ligament in Sunday’s dramatic loss to his opponent 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(5). tear. Czech Tomas Machac during the third round of the Miami Open.
Murray produced his best performance of a difficult season in Miami, fighting back from 5-2 down in the third set before the 36-year-old tied the score at 5-5. The ankle was seriously injured in the process. . Although he fought hard to the end without even bandaging his ankle and almost won the game, he later announced that he had torn his ligament.
After testing immediately in Miami the next day, Murray consulted experts on his return to the UK. Depending on the nature of the injury, the ruptured ATFL may heal with rest or through keyhole surgery, which could sideline him for several months. Murray has yet to decide his next move, saying he is disappointed but determined to get back on the court as soon as possible.
The injury is Murray’s most serious since undergoing hip resurfacing surgery in January 2019, and is particularly significant given the timing of it. He only recently publicly confirmed that he plans to retire at the end of this summer, and the Brit intends to compete at Wimbledon one more time before retiring.
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With just three months left until Wimbledon, not only is his ability to compete now up in the air, but his planned retirement timetable is also at risk. In the next few days, he will have to make a big decision about his season.
