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Andy Murray cops devastating injury blow as tennis future thrown into major doubt

The 36-year-old's tennis career has been plunged into further doubt after suffering an ankle injury in his loss to Tomas Machac.

Ben Talintyre
·Sports Reporter
·5-min read

Andy Murray's tennis future has been plunged into further doubt after the 36-year-old revealed he ruptured the ATFL and CFL in his ankle during his 5-7 7-5 7-6 (7-5) loss to Tomas Machac in the round of 32 at the Miami Open. The Scot was a set up and 5-5 in the second when he pulled up sharply as he rushed towards his chair at the end of a service game.

Murray was seen clutching his left ankle as he grimaced in pain, with officials calling the physiotherapist onto the court. After lengthy treatment and having his foot strapped, Murray bravely soldiered on but eventually went down in three sets.

Andy Murray pictured
Andy Murray's tennis future has been plunged into further doubt after the 36-year-old revealed he ruptured his ATFL and CFL in his 5-7 7-5 7-6 (7-5) loss to Tomas Machac. Image: Getty

Scans following the match revealed the ankle injury will see him sidelined for an extended period of time and he now must face the real possibility that he has played the last game of his illustrious tennis career. In a post to Instagram on Tuesday, Murray wrote: "Yesterday towards the end of my match in Miami I suffered a full rupture of my ATFL (anterior talo-fibular ligament) and near full thickness rupture of my CFL (calcaneofibular ligament)."

"I will see an ankle specialist when I return home to determine the next steps. Goes without saying this is a tough one to take and I’ll be out for an extended period. But I’ll be back with one hip and no ankle ligaments when the time is right." His caption was accompanied by a 'winking' emoji, to tease fans who continue to speculate when he will retire.

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The development comes just hours after Murray said he is "looking forward to the end" after his painful defeat to Machac in Miami. Speaking after the loss, Murray admitted it was most likely his last match in Miami. "I wasn’t thinking about all the matches I played," he said. "Just more that that’s the last match that I am going play here which is sad because I love it here. I’ve spent so much of my tennis career here and I would have liked it to have gone on a little bit longer.

"This tournament is an important one for me so it was a bit more emotional leaving the court. I am looking forward to the end now, give my best the next few months and get to be at home with my family."

In the previous round, Murray snapped a nine-match losing streak against top 50 players, beating 29th-ranked Tomas Martín Etcheverry 7-6 (7-0) 6-3. Following the win he said his body is feeling the effects of his long tennis career ."My body feels that," Murray said.

"It feels like I've played a thousand. I've obviously been on the tour a long time. My first matches on tour were just as I turned 18 years old ... It's been a long career but an amazing career." And after the latest injury setback, fans are fearing they have seen the last of Murray on the tennis court.

Andy Murray to retire after the summer

The Scotsman has previously stated that he plans to bring the curtain down on his illustrious tennis career this summer and last week again expressed his frustration at repeatedly being asked about it amid recent struggles on the court. The 36-year-old has said he will not play beyond this summer, but whether that means he will hang up his racquet for good after Wimbledon, the Paris Olympics or if that date will now be pushed back following the latest setback is unknown.

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - MARCH 24: Andy Murray of Great Britain screams in pain after hurting his left ankle during his match against Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic on Day 9 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 24, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Andy Murray screams in pain after hurting his left ankle during his match against Tomas Machac. (Al Bello via Getty Images)

"I feel like no one is listening to me," Murray told reporters following his win over Etcheverry at the Miami Open. I'm planning on finishing in the summer. I don't know what more I'm supposed to say. I've been getting asked about it for 18 months or so, and it's obviously something I have thought about, but, you know, I hadn't made a decision on.

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"I'm sure all the players when they finish playing look back and probably wish there are things they would have done differently or could have done better. But I feel like I gave it a pretty good go. I worked hard, I put a lot into it. I didn't miss many days of training through lack of discipline or poor decisions. Yeah, I gave it a good go."

with AAP