Updated at 16.36
CONFUSION SURROUNDED the Wimbledon fate of two-time former champion Andy Murray after back surgery appeared to rule him out of this year’s tournament.
The Scot was aiming to make a farewell appearance at the grass-court Grand Slam, which he won in 2013 and 2016.
However, the 37-year-old will need an expected six weeks to recover from a spinal cyst operation, with Wimbledon starting on 1 July.
He now faces a race against time to be fit for next month’s Paris Olympics, with Murray twice a gold medallist in the singles.
The ATP Tour, in a post on X, formerly Twitter, said on Sunday that Murray had been ruled out of Wimbledon.
But the post was subsequently deleted, with neither Murray nor his management company yet to confirm if he will be appearing at Wimbledon.
The ATP post said: “After an operation on a spinal cyst, Andy Murray is sadly out of Wimbledon. Rest up and recover Andy, we’ll miss seeing you there.”
Murray managed just five games before a back injury forced him to withdraw from his second-round match against Australia’s Jordan Thompson at the Queen’s warm-up event in London on Wednesday.
The former world number one, who plays with a metal hip, struggled from the start of his match against Thompson and said afterwards he had a feeling of weakness in his right leg and had lost coordination.
“I never had that loss of coordination, control and strength in my leg before,” Murray said shortly after retiring from his match with Thompson.
“I’ve been struggling with my back for a while — I had lost the power in my right leg so lost all motor control, I had no coordination and couldn’t really move.”
Asked then about his prospects of playing at Wimbledon, he added: “Like all tennis players, we have degenerative joints and stuff in the back, but it’s all predominantly been left-sided for me my whole career.
“I have never had too many issues with the right side. So maybe there is something that can be done between now and then to help the right side.”
Murray underwent minor back surgery in 2013 and following a first-round loss at the recent French Open he said he would need treatment to address soreness.
The three-time Grand Slam champion only returned to competitive action in May after nearly two months out with an ankle injury.
He had been due to play singles and doubles with his brother Jamie at Wimbledon before potentially ending his career at the Olympics in Paris.
Murray has had previous back injuries and underwent surgery in 2013, while also suffering from soreness in recent weeks.
Queen’s — a tournament he has won five times — was just his fourth event following almost two months out with an ankle injury.
