Andy Murray is set to play at Roland Garros after an early elimination from the ATP Tour in Geneva.
Murray, who is expected to retire at some point this season, had been injured since late March after damaging ankle ligaments in a third-round match. against Tomas Machac at the Miami Open.
After the match, Murray said he would sidelined for “an extended period” after confirming that he had suffered a complete rupture of his ATFL (anterior talofibular ligament) and a near complete rupture of his CFL (calcaneofibular ligament).
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Highlights as Murray lost to Tomas Machac at Miami Open
“I will see an ankle specialist when I get home to determine the next steps,” he said. “It goes without saying that this is a difficult situation to accept and I will be out for an extended period of time. But I will return with one hip and no ligaments in my ankle when the time comes.”
Murray opted not to have surgery, but there were fears the former world number 1 would not be able to have his swan song at Wimbledon.
As the French Open began on May 26, the Scot made a surprise return at a second division tournament in Bordeaux, where he was beaten in straight sets. by world number 115 Grégoire Barrer Before losing to Yannick Hanfmann at the Geneva Open in a game delayed by weather.
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Murray celebrated his 29th birthday in 2016 by beating Novak Djokovic in the final of the Rome Masters with perhaps his greatest match point of all time.
Murray has not played at the French Open since 2020, which was his only appearance since his hip problems began three years earlier.
While Wimbledon seems like the most logical place for Murray to end his glittering career, he is tempted by another Olympic medal challenge on the clay of Paris this summer.
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Murray expressed frustration with reporters asking him how much time he had left in tennis, feeling he was repeating the same answers over and over again.
Murray, who plays with a metal hip, confirmed he will retire this summer, saying: “I probably won’t play beyond this summer.
“I get asked about this after every match I play, every tournament I play. I’m sick of this question, to be honest.
“I won’t talk any more about that until it’s time for me to stop. But yeah, I don’t plan on playing much later this summer.”
Murray at Roland Garros
Murray can’t wait to play at Roland Garros
Murray will likely make his final appearance at the second Grand Slam of the year, where he will also compete in the doubles alongside Davis Cup teammate Dan Evans after receiving a wild card.
Of his 46 career singles titles, only three have been won on clay. Two of them, however, have been Masters, with victories in Madrid (2015) and Rome (2016).
He was also a finalist at the French Open but lost in 2016 to Djokovic.
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After losing the opportunity to beat Jakub Mensik at the Qatar Open, Murray appeared to say “this match is not for me anymore.”
Grass and Wimbledon
Murray is a two-time Wimbledon champion
Murray has signed up to defend his title at Surbiton Trophy starting in June for his first grass-court tournament, although the tournament coincides with the second week of the French Open, indicating he may not be planning a long stay in Paris.
The Scotsman will then head towards the Boss Open in Stuttgart from June 10 to 16 – live on Sky Sports Tennis rather than
defend his Challenger title in Nottingham before heading to the Queen’s Club.
Sky Sports Tennis’ Annabel Croft said: “It’s great news. None of us really knew where he was going to play, and I’m sure he doesn’t really know where his body will be.
“It was a huge setback after Miami, with that ankle twist in that match, when he was just starting to really step up his tennis and looked like he was playing some of his best tennis again.
“I don’t think it surprises me that he’s been in all of this (Geneva, Roland Garros, Stuttgart). He’ll want to play a lot of tennis. As many matches as possible.”
He will then return to the home of arguably his greatest memories in the sport when he steps out onto the hallowed turf of the All England Club for what will be the final time.
He will arrive on Center Court in what will inevitably be an emotional moment for the 2013 and 2016 champion.
“On grass, he can always be a problem for any player. He’s so experienced, a two-time Wimbledon champion, and the options he has in his box of tricks are always at his disposal,” Croft continued.
“He can still make life very, very difficult for so many opponents, so hopefully his body will recover and he can have a really good run over the summer.”
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Paris Olympics?
The Briton is the only tennis player to have won two consecutive singles gold medals.
The Briton will then be tempted by another chance at the Paris Olympics, which could be his last appearance as a professional player, with his best chance probably being in doubles.
He is the only tennis player to have won two consecutive gold medals in singles, in London and Rio.
The Paris Olympic Games are also scheduled to begin on July 24, with direct entry into the top 56 rankings on June 10.
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