Murray Makes Heartfelt Statement To Fans
Andy Murray has released a heartfelt statement to his social media followers after withdrawing from the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp on Tuesday.
The two-time champion at the Queensland event was hoping to make his long-awaited return to the ATP World Tour this week after a hip injury has seen him spend six months on the sidelines. Murray, who hasn’t played a competitive match since July 2017 at Wimbledon, apologised to the tournament and fans before providing an update on the status of his injury via Instagram.
“Firstly I want to apologise [to the tournament] for withdrawing at late notice and to everyone who wanted to come along to watch me play. The organisers couldn't have been more understanding and supportive and I'll always remember that," said Murray.
“I've obviously been going through a really difficult period with my hip for a long time and have sought council from a number of hip specialists. Having been recommended to treat my hip conservatively since the US Open I have done everything asked of me from a rehab perspective and worked extremely hard to try get back on the court competing.”
[ALSO LIKE]Murray revealed he had not been happy with his level when playing practice sets against fellow players in Brisbane and now has to take time to assess his options moving forward with the injury.
“I have to reassess my options," said Murray. "Obviously continuing rehab is one option, giving my hip more time to recover. Surgery is also an option but the chances of a successful outcome are not as high as I would like, which has made this my secondary option and my hope has been to avoid that. However this is something I may have to consider but let's hope not.”
The former World No. 1 revealed how the injury lay-off has affected him mentally and given him a greater understanding of how much he loves the sport.
“The little kid inside me just wants to play tennis and compete," he added. "I genuinely miss it so much and I would give anything to be back out there. I didn't realise until these last few months just how much I love this game. Every time I wake up from sleeping or napping I hope that it's better and it's quite demoralising when you get on the court it's not at the level you need it to be to compete at this level.”
With short term decisions to be made as the Australian Open looms large, Murray revealed he will soon make a decision on his participation at the first Grand Slam of 2018. “I'm going to be staying in Australia for the next couple of days to see if my hip settles down a bit and will decide by the weekend whether to stay out here or fly home to assess what I do next.”