Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray retired from his second-round match at the Queen’s Club Championships against Jordan Thompson after five games due to severe back issues. This injury raises concerns about his participation in Wimbledon 2024, as he will undergo a scan to determine the severity of the problem.
“Obviously, it wasn’t great. I have been struggling with my back for a while. I had a loss of power in my right leg. So loss of motor control, had no coordination. Yeah, couldn’t move,” Murray said as quoted by ATP.
Murray, 37, revealed that his back had been sore leading up to the ATP 500 match. He withdrew while trailing 4-1 in the first set after receiving treatment for his sore hips and lower back. The severity of the issue was later confirmed to be a significant back problem.
“It was pretty sore in my match yesterday. Yeah, it was sore through today. But I was able to manage it. I wasn’t comfortable playing, but I was able to manage it. During my pre-match warm-up, I was pretty uncomfortable, and then I walked up the stairs just before going on the court, I didn’t have the usual, just normal strength in my right leg. It was not a usual feeling,” Murray said.
“I don’t know how many of you were watching, but the first two balls I hit in the warm-up, my right leg, it was so uncoordinated. I had no coordination. Right leg just was not working properly,” said the 37-year-old.
The 37-year-old hopes to participate in what is likely to be his final Grand Slam match at Wimbledon, which gets underway on July 1. However, a scan will be performed to ascertain the severity of the issue that caused the two-time SW19 champion’s right leg to become numb immediately before he entered Centre Court.
“During my pre-match warm-up, I was pretty uncomfortable and then I walked up the stairs, just before going on the court, I didn’t have the normal strength in my right leg. It was not a usual feeling. Then the first two balls I hit in the warm-up, my right leg, it was, like, so uncoordinated. I had no coordination. Then, yeah, my right leg just was not working properly. In hindsight, I wish I hadn’t gone on there because it was pretty awkward for everyone,” Murray said as quoted by Sky Sports.
“There is nothing I could do, and then there is part of you that wants to go out there and see if it gets better, you know, and maybe feel better with a bit of treatment or something, but that wasn’t the case,” he added.