Andy Murray will ‘probably’ undergo potential career-ending hip operation after Australian Open exit

The Scot lost to Roberto Bautista Agut in five sets in the first round at Melbourne Park to leave him in agony and cast doubt over his involvement at Wimbledon this year

Andy Murray could have fresh surgery which would likely spell the end of his career (AFP/Getty)

Andy Murray thinks he will “probably” have the second operation on his injured right hip – which will potentially mean the end of his career.

Murray was planning to fly home on Wednesday following his defeat to Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round of the Australian Open here on Monday evening. The manner of that defeat, in which Murray launched a remarkable comeback from two sets down before losing after more than four hours, was leading the former world No 1 towards the conclusion that he should opt for surgery.

“If I had got smoked I would have been like: ‘Shit, I don’t want that to be the last match that I play.’ But because of the way the match went and actually how I finished the match, I literally couldn’t have done anymore.

“That was my maximum. My hip was completely gone at the end of the match. I couldn’t have done any more. It was an amazing atmosphere. It was brilliant, so that would be a nice way to finish as well. I think I would be able to deal with that being my last match.”

Murray said he had two options to consider. He could take a break, return to training in the summer and play at Wimbledon in what he had planned as his farewell tournament. However, that would mean having to deal with the day-to-day pain that has troubled him ever since he suffered the injury in the summer of 2017.

The alternative would be to have a “resurfacing” operation on his right hip, which involves replacing the lining of the damaged joint with a smooth artificial surface. It would be more extensive than the surgery he underwent 12 months ago. Although it should alleviate his physical pain, the likelihood is that he would subsequently be unable to put in the hard work in training that he would need to play at the elite level again.

“I would definitely play Wimbledon if I didn’t have the operation because my hip isn’t going to be much worse off after this match,” Murray said. “My hip is screwed anyway so it’s not like the match [against Bautista Agut] is going to make it any worse than what it is.

“If I took a few months off and didn’t play, I could definitely get myself on the court to play Wimbledon one last time. I could be competitive. I was competitive here against a top player with very little practice and matches – and grass is a better surface for me.

“Option B gives me the best chance of playing at Wimbledon. The first option makes my life a lot more comfortable and enjoyable, but potentially means I never play again and also miss Wimbledon. That’s what I need to decide.”

Of the many tributes that have been made to him since he announced his intention to retire last week, Murray said he had been pleased by those which referred more to him as a person than as a tennis player.

“That was what was nice,” he said. “There has been a lot of people saying: ‘Congrats, you had a brilliant career on the court.’ But the things you do away from the court, when people talk about that stuff, that has more importance.”

Had he been comfortable with the reaction to the news of his impending retirement or had he found some of it over-the-top and embarrassing?

“There have been a few things in the last couple of days, like encounters with people and stuff, that have been a little bit embarrassing, just because you don’t really know how to react,” he said.

Murray appears exhausted during his first round match vs Bautista Agut in Melbourne (REUTERS) (Reuters)

“I didn’t expect a reaction like that. I didn’t expect people to be genuinely upset about it. I know there are lots of tennis fans and British tennis fans that would be sad about it, but I didn’t expect people to be genuinely really upset about it – and that’s a bit embarrassing when you encounter that.”

As he contemplated the end of his career, Murray said he had never believed that he would have the success that he went on to enjoy.

“I was chatting to my team in December about kids that say they dream of winning Wimbledon and stuff,” he said. “I never had any dreams like that. I saw an interview that I did when I was 14 on the BBC.

“I was like: ‘I just wanted to be a professional tennis player. I wanted to get to the top 100 in the world.’ When I moved over to Spain, that was what I was trying to do. I was not thinking about winning Wimbledon. I didn’t think that was ever going to be possible. I never had those dreams or ambitions when I was a kid.”