Andy Murray’s Hip Surgery Will Keep Him Out Until The Wimbledon Championships

Former world No. 1 tennis star Andy Murray is out of the first grand slam tennis tournaments of 2018. Murray has been out of competition since last year’s Wimbledon tournament, and his injury meant he has had to withdraw from this month’s Australian Open. It was widely reported last week that Murray’s ongoing problem with a hip injury had forced his withdrawal from both the Brisbane International and Australian Open tournaments. As reported by the Independent, Murray decided not to return to the United Kingdom from Australia, instead choosing to fly from Brisbane to Melbourne, where he has now undergone surgery to correct the injury.

Murray’s surgery was conducted by Dr. John O’Donnell, one of the world’s leading hip specialists, who is reported to be “very pleased” with the outcome. Murray has been in consultation with Dr. O’Donnell for over a decade as a result of his recurring hip and back injuries.

As reported by The Guardian, Murray has been reluctant to undergo surgery, preferring to rely on physiotherapy to control his hip injury. Surgery was seen very much as a last resort because similar surgery has ended the career of tennis stars in the past. All the indications are that Murray’s gamble has paid off, but he does face another lengthy period of rehabilitation.

Not only will Murray miss the Australian Open, he is unlikely to be fit enough to compete in the French Open at Roland Garros this May. According to the Daily Mail, Murray is aiming to be fit enough to compete in the Wimbledon championship, which will commence on July 2.

Murray is now 30-years-old and is a three-time grand slam champion. Murray also won an Olympic gold medal and was ranked No. 1 in the world before injury cut short his ability to compete last year. With a long history of injuries behind him, Murray would be forgiven if he had decided to retire from tennis, but he claims that he has a special means of motivating himself. Murray says that he is determined to recover because he wants his 2-year-old daughter to be old enough to remember seeing her father compete at the highest level.

“One of the things I would like to do is play until my eldest daughter is able to watch me and have a small understanding of what it is I’ve done for my living. That’s one of the things that’s motivated me to keep playing.”

Murray went on to say that if he can recover 95 percent of his fitness, he will be able to compete at the highest level. Murray says that he is in excellent shape apart from his hip injury, and he explained that he has been practicing constantly during his injury lay off. It will be a long road back for Andy Murray, but he is determined to overcome his injury in time to return for Wimbledon.