Andy Murray will no longer have desired “to be making up the numbers” as he pondered his future, says his former Davis Cup group-mate Tim Henman.
The 3-time Grand Slam champion and the former international primary will retire this 12 months due to hip harm.
And the 31-year-old Scot says next week’s Australian Open could be the very last event of his career.
“It is unhappy news. However, it doesn’t detract from what a top-notch career he has had,” Henman told BBC Sport.
Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Henman, who has been friends with Murray since the Scot becomes a teen, becomes one among many former gamers and fanatics presenting their quality needs following Melbourne’s statement on Friday.
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The -time Olympic champion, who will play what could be his very last ever sport at approximately 07:00 GMT on Monday towards Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, says he is still in “serious pain” as he tries to return following surgical treatment on his proper hip a yr ago.
After he took six months off-court docket following his 2017 Wimbledon zone-very the last defeat by Sam Querrey in a bid to clear up the problem, the operation got here.
Murray, who gained Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016, says he wants to play at the All England Club this summertime before retiring but admits that won’t be feasible.
“It has been heading in this direction,” stated Henman, who was replaced as British primary by Murray in 2006.
“I recognize how difficult he has been working – I’ve been capable of speaking to him at distinct times, and I’m close to Jamie Delgado [Murray’s coach].
“With the amount of work he has installed, and we understand how professional and diligent he is, 20 months is a long term.
“And with the character of the injury, there were plenty of folks that stated this was going to take place at some level.
“He could have ticked each field to provide himself the satisfactory possibility to play ache loose at the very best stage again.
“But the fact is he won’t be able to try this. In expert tennis terms, he has seen there isn’t always a fix for this hip hassle.”
As properly as adding the 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon titles to his 2012 US Open triumph, Murray completed runner-up in 8 other Grand Slam finals, gained the 2016 ATP Tour finals, and guided Great Britain to the 2015 Davis Cup.
“When you have a look at the list of his achievements, there are not any greater goals you could gain in our recreation,” Henman introduced.
“His improvement, from someone who joined us on the Davis Cup as a 16-12 months-vintage, and the manner his recreation has advanced, and the way he has matured physically and mentality has been the first-rate to look at.
“I recognize he might be immensely proud of those achievements even though he will be upset for the time being.”
Although reached 4 inside the international, Henman also struggled with harm within the final stages of his career – although over a miles shorter period than Murray.
“I become very fortunate while it got here to my retirement, and it actually befell in the space of six or seven weeks where I become struggling with several special components,” he said.
“I returned wasn’t extremely good at that level. But additionally, my form, the level of play I became playing at, wasn’t in which I wanted; I wasn’t enhancing.
“And if you’re no longer enhancing, your ranking is going to move one manner, and I always believed I turned into playing in tournaments to win the one’s tournaments.
“After Wimbledon in 2007, I started on the American hard court swing and felt for the first time I turned into making up the numbers.
“I felt that wasn’t what my career turned into about, and I assume Andy has stated comparable things.
“He feels he can play to a decent stage; however, whilst he has been contending for Grand Slam titles and number one scores, he doesn’t want to be there making up the numbers.”
