Andy Murray waits on Wimbledon decision after ATP Tour jumps the gun
Andy Murray will wait before making a decision on his Wimbledon participation despite reports that he is set to miss the Grand Slam, says Great Britain Davis Cup captain Leon Smith.
The ATP Tour appeared to jump the gun when posting on social media on Sunday that Murray had given up hope of playing Wimbledon next week following a back operation.
But Smith said: “I’ve seen the reports and on social media and that’s not my understanding. This has come from one source and had a knock-on effect. A lot of people are reporting it but that’s not my understanding.
“He obviously went through a procedure yesterday and you have to wait and see now. My understanding is no decision has been made and let’s hope for the best for Andy.”
The 37-year-old Briton had an operation on a cyst on his spine on Saturday after losing power in his right leg and retiring from his second-round match at Queen’s Club on Wednesday.
Murray’s camp indicated on Sunday morning that a decision on his entry to Wimbledon was not likely until Monday, only for the ATP Tour to quickly contradict that in a social media post that was later deleted.
“After an operation on a spinal cyst, Andy Murray is sadly out of Wimbledon,” the tour said. “Rest up and recover Andy, we’ll miss seeing you there.”
The two-time Wimbledon champion had been set for a final appearance at his home Grand Slam, having indicated that he was leaning towards retiring later this year.
But that was plunged into doubt by his withdrawal from the Cinch Championships at Queen’s, and those concerns deepened when it emerged that he would have surgery at the weekend.
Murray now also faces a race against time to recover for the Paris 2024 Olympics, where the London 2012 singles champion hoped to represent Great Britain for one last time.