Image source, Getty Images
- Author, Jonathan Jurejko
- Role, BBC Sport journalist
Andy Murray has not made a decision on whether he will be fit enough to make a planned Wimbledon farewell next week.
The 37-year-old Briton had a procedure on a back issue at the weekend.
Murray is set to retire later this year and hopes for a final appearance at Wimbledon, where he won two of his three Grand Slam titles.
“Following his surgery on Saturday, Andy is continuing to work with his medical team to confirm when he will return to the court,” Murray’s team said in a statement.
“At this stage, no decisions have been made and we will update further as soon as anything has been finalised.”
Wimbledon, where Murray became the first British men’s singles champion in 77 years when he won in 2013, begins on 1 July.
A report in the Telegraph on Sunday said Murray would not be able to compete after having surgery on a spinal cyst.
Murray would not confirm the nature of the procedure when asked by BBC Sport.
Murray has also been selected for Great Britain at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The tennis event starts on 27 July on the clay courts at Roland Garros.
He had previously said he was “not planning to play much beyond the summer” but did not confirm what would be his final tournament.
Why Wimbledon means so much to Murray
Wimbledon has been the scene of some of Murray’s greatest moments on the court.
Weeks after the emotional defeat by Roger Federer in the 2012 final, and the teary post-match interview that changed public opinion of him, Murray returned to win Olympic gold on Centre Court against the same opponent.
That triumph set the platform for Murray to end Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s Wimbledon champion in 2013, with victory over world number one Novak Djokovic.
In 2016, he became Wimbledon champion for a second time, beating Milos Raonic in what would ultimately become the best year of his career – ending up as the world number one for the first time.
So it is little surprise Murray wants to give himself as much time as possible to make what is expected to be a fond farewell on Centre Court.
With the main draw for the men’s singles taking place at 10am on Friday, it appears Murray is giving himself the rest of the week to see how he responds to the surgery before making a decision.
How Murray ended up in latest fitness battle
Murray, who thought in 2019 he would have to retire because of a hip injury, knows there is no perfect ending to a tennis career.
But it would feel cruel if the best British player of his generation is not able to say goodbye on home turf as planned – fully fit and perhaps with one last hurrah.
Rupturing ankle ligaments at the Miami Open in March – shortly after Murray said he did not intend to play much past the summer and just as he began to show signs of resurgent form – was a big blow.
After returning on the clay seven weeks later, he started struggling with a problem on the left side of his back, where he had surgery in 2013, and said he has “degenerative” issues.
At Queen’s, where he had to stop playing after five games of his second-round match against Australia’s Jordan Thompson, Murray said he suffered “nerve-type discomfort” on the right side.
Murray said it caused a “loss of strength, coordination and control” in his right leg.
“I hadn’t experienced that before,” he added.