Andy Murray has left the tennis world wondering whether the three-time grand slam champion is calling it quits after revealing he would forego the full clay-court season in order to prepare for a Wimbledon run.
Murray, who won Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016, said he doesn’t want to take any risks during the clay-court swing, even if it means missing out on the main ATP Tour for more than two months before SW19.
The Scot was knocked out of the Australian Open in the second round by World No.111 Taro Daniel, a heartbreaking setback for the previous finalist to swallow.
Murray has remained certain that despite his two hip operations, which have hampered his career, he can return to the top and contend for grand slams.
However, the 33-year-old is definitely prioritising a wildcard entrance for Wimbledon, which may be his last grand slam in London.
“I’m not intending on playing through the clay right now,” Murray stated at the Rotterdam Open.
“The clay has made difficulties worse in the last couple of years; last year, I had some troubles at the start of the year, and the clay didn’t help, so I spoke to my team about it, and this year, although I feel fantastic and healthy, I don’t want to take that chance.
“It’s not that I wouldn’t possibly play on clay in the future; last year, I nearly missed Wimbledon and was on the verge of missing the grass season; I’m not planning on playing clay; I’ll still try to compete for a little during that time; I won’t do nothing; that’s my current strategy.
“I had a hectic finish of last year, and hopefully over the next couple of months, I won’t take any chances and will have a solid build-up to the grass season.”