Andy Murray has revealed he faces an “extended period” out with an ankle injury.
The 36-year-old fell to a third-round defeat at the Miami Open on Sunday, edged out in a final set tie-break as he was beaten 5-7 7-5 7-6 by Tomas Machac.
He pulled up and screamed out in pain as he approached the net in the final set, hopping to his chair and then receiving treatment on court.
Murray was remarkably able to finish the match but it has proved to be a serious injury, and, while he has confirmed his intention to return to the court, there will be concern over his involvement at Wimbledon this summer.
“Yesterday towards the end of my match in Miami I suffered a full rupture of my ATFL and near full thickness rupture of my CFL,” Murray posted on social media on Monday night.
“I will see an ankle specialist when I return home to determine next steps. Goes without saying this is a tough one to take and I’ll be out for an extended period.
“But I’ll be back with one hip and no ankle ligaments when the time is right.”
From JOY to PAIN as Andy Murray rolls his ankle after making it 5-5 in the third set 😯 pic.twitter.com/HqX86e4Ghv
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) March 24, 2024
Murray trailed 5-2 in the deciding set against Machac before he battled back to get the match on serve, but turned his ankle winning the point that levelled it at 5-5.
He defied his injury to take the match to decisive tie-break, which he was in control of at 5-3. Machac recovered, though, to end what had been a more positive week for Murray.
He earned back-to-back wins for the first time since August last year, making this significant injury setback a particularly cruel blow.
The Briton is now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with no timeframe given for his return to the court as he bids to recover for one final Wimbledon appearance.
Murray has previously confirmed his intention to retire from the sport this summer, suggesting he would like to compete at the Olympics in Paris before calling time on a career that has brought two gold medals to go with his three grand-slam titles.
It now appears likely that Murray will miss the clay-court swing, and instead turn his focus to the grass-court season this summer and an emotional Wimbledon farewell.
Murray was in reflective mood after defeat in Miami, having won the tournament twice and spent many winters in Florida for pre-season training camps throughout his career.
He admitted he was “looking forward to the end” after a frustrating struggle for results.
“This tournament particularly for me is an important one so it was a bit more emotional leaving the court today than it might be at some of the other events,” Murray said.
“I am looking forward to the end now, give my best the next few months and get to be at home with my family.”
