- Andy Murray withdrew from his second-round matchup with Jordan Thompson
- The two-time Wimbledon champion tried to continue playing after treatment
- He received a standing ovation afterwards after continuing to play in pain
Andy Murray withdrew from his second round match at Queen’s after limping through five games and appearing to say to his opponent Jordan Thompson: “My back is gone.”
If it was just a spasm or a tweak, everything might still be fine. If there is anything sinister, he is certainly a doubt for Wimbledon, which is just 11 days away.
The 37-year-old limped during the warm-up for his 1,001st match at Tour level and on the first point Thompson returned serve and Murray took a horrible, hesitant, lurching step and didn’t get near the ball . At once it was terribly clear that something was seriously wrong.
Pre-match footage showed him emerging from the dressing room and walking incredibly gingerly down the steps of the Queen’s Club. But you can imagine that if he had fought that hard this morning, he wouldn’t have even come to court. And BBC’s John Llloyd reported that Murray looked fine when he saw him in the players’ lounge earlier in the day. It was all quite mysterious.
A deathly hush fell over the Queen’s Club as Thompson pushed the ball back into play so many times it broke an opponent who could barely walk.
Andy Murray has withdrawn from Queen’s two weeks before Wimbledon due to injury
Murray, 37, tried heroically to continue after treatment but lasted only five games in total
It is unclear how Murray sustained his injury as he looked fine during warm-ups
The 37-year-old received a standing ovation at the end of the match and waved to the fans
It was only a matter of time then, but Murray grimly – and frankly inexplicably – soldiered on for another four matches, somehow winning one.
He was given a medical timeout after three games and received significant treatment on his back.
Every step he took sent a shiver down his spine, so obvious was his discomfort. It was a defeat here on the same field and in front of the same opponent that was one of the clearest signs that his hip was becoming unmanageable in 2017.
Trailing 3-1, Murray was broken again with a double fault. In any case, that is the last battle he will play in the competition here at the Queen’s Club, where he is a five-time champion. What a grotesque way to end.
Murray said during the clay court season – playing this year at the French Open for the first time since 2020 – the surface always caused problems with his back. It would be cruel indeed if the decision to make one last trip to Paris contributed to his departure here.
If this is an injury that could jeopardize his participation at Wimbledon, then it remains to be seen where Murray’s future plans come from.
He hinted that he would retire after Wimbledon or the Olympics. If he cannot make it to the All England Club and faces rehabilitation to return to the clay, his hopes of a joyous farewell could be shattered.