Andy Murray breaks down in heartbreaking retirement announcement

Andy Murray has finally succumbed to injury, breaking down in tears as he confirmed he’ll retire from tennis this year.

The three-time grand-slam champion says he’d like to finish his career at home at Wimbledon, but is weighing up retiring after the Australian Open.

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A devastated Murray was in tears on Friday when he made the announcement, briefly walking out of a media conference to gather his composure.

Murray intends to play in the season-opening major at Melbourne Park but says there is a chance it will have to be his final tournament.

“I’m not feeling good. I’ve obviously been struggling for a long time,” Murray said.

“I’ve been in a lot of pain for probably about 20 months now.

“I can still play to a level, (although) not a level that I’m happy playing at. But it’s not just that, the pain is too much really.

“I don’t want to continue playing that way. I’ve tried pretty much everything to get it right and that hasn’t worked.”

Murray won the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016 to join Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the ‘big four’ of men’s tennis.

A five-time finalist at Melbourne Park, Murray said he had reflected on his future during a training block at the end of last year.

“I spoke to my team and I told that I can’t keep doing this, that I needed to have an end point because (I was) just playing with no idea when the pain was going to stop,” he said.

“I said to my team ‘I think I can get through to Wimbledon’ … that’s where I would like to stop playing. But I’m also not certain I’m able to do that.”

The writing was on the wall on Thursday when Murray was forced to pull the pin on a practice match with Novak Djokovic.

It was the 31-year-old’s first appearance at Melbourne Park since 2017 and a year on from hip surgery.

His movement looked restricted as world No.1 and six-time Australian champion Djokovic moved him from side to side, and he was unable to chase down a drop shot he would have eaten up in his prime.

The Scotsman showed he hadn’t lost his sense of humour after Djokovic conceded a point on a blistering Murray winner and he called out, “You wouldn’t have done that if it was the final!”

Murray called time after 49 minutes while trailing 6-1 4-1.

Unseeded this year, Murray only managed 12 matches in 2018 for seven wins.

KEY NUMBERS OF ANDY MURRAY’S CAREER:

* 1 – Murray became the first British singles player to be ranked world No.1 (November 7, 2016)

* 41 – The number of weeks the Scot spent on top of the rankings

* 3 – Grand-slam titles

* 11 – Grand-slam finals

* 45 – Career singles titles

* 2 – Doubles titles, both with brother Jamie

* 9 – Singles titles in 2016, including five in a row to end the season as world No.1

* 2 – Olympic singles gold medals

* 11 – Murray won all 11 rubbers he contested to drive Great Britain to Davis Cup glory in 2015, an unprecedented feat

* 663 – Tour-level matches won

* $US61,055,135 ($A85 million) – Career prize money

* 3 – Only person to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year three times

* 5573 – Aces served

* 29 – Combined wins against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

with AAP