- In 2013, Murray became the first British man to win in SW19 since Fred Perry
- The 37-year-old is in a race against time to play a tournament after surgery
- Murray retired against Jordan Thompson at Queen’s Club on Wednesday
John McEnroe has once again called for an Andy Murray statue to be unveiled at Wimbledon to honor the three-time Grand Slam winner’s achievements in the sport.
It is still not known whether Murray, 37, will be fit to compete in this year’s championship, which starts on Monday and appears to be his last after undergoing surgery on a spinal cyst on Saturday.
There has long been talk of a statue of the Scot on the grounds of the All England Club, where in 2013 he became the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936. McEnroe says the right outcome is clear.
“If I were to make that decision I would say absolutely yes because that’s a long drought, 77 years,” said McEnroe, a three-time champion at SW19, who will be part of the BBC’s coverage again this summer.
‘He has absolutely changed the way people view British tennis. He is one of the greatest competitors I have ever seen play tennis.
‘It would be well-deserved and great because two of his three Grand Slam victories (2013 and 2016) were at Wimbledon plus the Olympics (gold medal in 2012).
Andy Murray became the first British men’s champion since Fred Perry to lift the trophy at Wimbledon in 2013
John McEnroe has called for the two-time champion to be formally honored by the AELTC
Murray could yet skip this year’s tournament – his potential swan song – after undergoing surgery following his retirement from Queen’s (pictured)
‘He was part of the ‘big four’ and finished 2016 as the best player in the world.
‘It’s a shame that injuries (mean) you don’t hear about him in the same way as before. It’s like the ‘big three’ now.
“There’s a saying I’ve often used: ‘The older I get, the better I was.’ And unfortunately, when you have injuries, it’s damn difficult, if not impossible, to get to the level you were at.”
Earlier this month, All England Club CEO Sally Bolton explained the decision on how Murray’s Wimbledon performance would fall into his hands.
She said: “We have different paths to our plans for Andy. We will make the relevant announcements at the appropriate time.
“But it’s certainly up to Andy to make the decision when we put those plans in motion.”