Andy Murray is preparing for his 15th Wimbledon, which begins on July 3, with the 36-year-old not looking at retiring anytime soon; he has hopes of competing at the highest level again despite playing with a metal hip I On the end of his career, he says: "I want to finish on my own terms"
Monday 26 June 2023 15:25, UK
Andy Murray hopes this year's Wimbledon won't be his last, saying he wants to do himself "justice" by playing at a really high level before hanging up his racket.
Murray suffered a quarter-final exit to Sam Querrey at Wimbledon in 2017 and his career appeared to be at an end after being knocked out of the Australian Open in 2019, but hip resurfacing surgery gave the former world No 1 a second chance.
Victory for the 36-year-old at the recent Nottingham Challenger took him to his highest ranking since his hip operation at number 38 in the world.
I know it's not going to be going on forever but I have an idea of when I would like to finish and it's not this year's Wimbledon.
When Murray was ranked 839th in the world in July 2018 as he recovered from his first hip surgery, challenging at Grand Slams again seemed a forlorn hope but he has fought back and now has high hopes of competing at the top-echelon of the sport again.
Speaking to Sky News' Jacquie Beltrao, Murray said: "I'm very proud after what happened with my hip because I was at the peak of my career when the problem really started so it was a really tough few years for me but I also didn't know when I was going to be able to compete at the highest level again after I had the operation.
"But I've worked really, really hard with my team to get back to this point and give myself a chance to compete in the tournaments that I love and play at the highest level again."
The Scot heads into Wimbledon in fine fettle after back-to-back ATP Challenger Tour titles on grass at Surbiton and Nottingham.
Despite falling to a first-round defeat at Queen's Club, Murray has high expectations heading to the All England Club next week.
Asked whether this could be his last Wimbledon, Murray replied: "I hope not, but you never know. It's why athletes need to make the most of it while they're still able to because if I was to have another big injury or if something happened to the metal hip that would be me finished. I wouldn't try to come back from another operation or major surgery again so I want to keep playing a bit longer.
"I know it's not going to be going on forever but I have an idea of when I would like to finish and it's not this year's Wimbledon."
My wife has been amazing, pushing me to keep going, keep working hard and I think that's for the right reasons. I hope it's not because she wants to get me out the house.
Murray says there will be no right or wrong way of ending his career but he is determined to finish things on his "own terms".
"I don't know exactly which tournament it would be or where it will be. I just have an idea of how much longer I would like to play for and I don't want to put myself in a position like before I had the operation. I want to finish on my own terms," he said.
"I want to finish on the court where I feel I can still do myself justice and playing at a really high level. I definitely feel I can do that for a couple more years."
Murray continued: "There's no right or wrong way of finishing your career and it's always a really difficult one for athletes. Lots of people would have said the best way for Roger Federer to finish would have been at Wimbledon but I thought the way that he finished his career on the doubles court with Rafa (Nadal) surrounded by some of the greats of the game was brilliant.
"The way Rafa wants to go about it is up to him and Serena (Williams) finished at the US Open after a great run. There's never one way of doing it. It's whatever's right for the individual."
Murray, who has been coached by the likes of Brad Gilbert, Jamie Delgado and Amelie Mauresmo and is currently working alongside Czech-born American legend Ivan Lendl, says he has taken on advice about when to end his career.
He said: "I've spoken to a lot of ex-players and some of them who have coached me. I've spoke to them about the end of their career and how they knew it was the end of their time. Pretty much everybody said 'play as long as you can, nothing will replace it. These are the best years of your life so try and make the most of it'.
"I don't want to leave too soon but I'm also aware after everything that I went through, I don't want to finish with an injury where I'm not able to play properly either."
Reflecting on the influence of his wife, Kim, Murray added: "My family have been incredibly supportive. My wife has been amazing, pushing me to keep going, keep working hard and I think that's for the right reasons. I hope it's not because she wants to get me out the house.
"There's a bit more of a balance now in that I spend more of my training weeks at home rather than being away in Florida."
