Andy Murray has heartbreakingly pulled out of Wimbledon singles, five years after he first hinted at retirement at the iconic Grand Slam. The British tennis legend announced on Tuesday (July 2) that he would not compete in the singles event at the All England Club due to insufficient recovery from spinal cyst surgery, despite being slated to play against Tomas Machac in the opening round.

However, fans will still see Murray in action as he pairs up with his brother Jamie for the doubles tournament, in what could be his final bow at Wimbledon. Murray has indicated plans to hang up his racket post-Paris Olympics, provided his fitness allows him to compete.

A statement from Murray’s camp confirmed the sombre news: “Unfortunately, despite working incredibly hard on his recovery since his operation just over a week ago, Andy has taken the very difficult decision not to play the singles this year. As you can imagine, he is extremely disappointed but has confirmed that he will be playing in the doubles with Jamie.”

Plagued by persistent hip and back injuries, Murray nearly succumbed to these career-threatening issues over five years ago, emotionally contemplating retirement at Wimbledon in 2019, reports the Mirror.

In a poignant moment before the Australian Open, the Scotsman had expressed his struggles: “I’ve pretty much done everything that I could to try and get my hip feeling better and it hasn’t helped loads. I’m in a better place than I was six months ago but still in a lot of pain. It’s been tough”.

Last Saturday, Murray opened up about the emotional weight of potentially ending his illustrious career at Wimbledon, a venue that has witnessed his remarkable triumphs. “The opportunity to play here again for the last time, that’s kind of it. This is a place that’s obviously been really good to me over the years,” he reflected.

He harboured hopes of a final Wimbledon appearance, saying, “My idea would have seen that happening probably at Wimbledon. Obviously I have the Olympics coming up. But I would love the opportunity to play here one more time. That’s what I’m looking to get out of it.”

Murray also spoke of seeking a sense of completion from his storied journey: “I’m hoping for, when it comes to the end, maybe a bit of closure. I just want the opportunity to play one more time out there hopefully on Centre Court and feel that buzz. Whether afterwards I feel it was the right thing to do or not, I don’t know. But right now I feel like I want that opportunity.”

Having made 11 Grand Slam finals during his illustrious career, Murray claimed two titles at Wimbledon while his maiden Slam came at Flushing Meadows when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the US Open final in 2012.