Andy Murray’s second-round match at Queen’s took a disheartening turn on Wednesday, as the British tennis legend was forced to retire due to a back injury. The incident casts a shadow over his potential farewell appearance at Wimbledon, just two weeks away.
Murray’s struggles began right from the start of the match against Australia’s Jordan Thompson. After serving his first ball, the 37-year-old’s hip and right leg buckled, leaving him visibly compromised. Despite the pain, he managed to serve out the first game virtually on one leg and even held serve for 1-2, taking a medical time-out for treatment on his right hip and knee. However, the pain proved too much to bear.
Murray, a two-time Wimbledon champion and five-time Queen’s winner, returned to the court for the fourth game but was unable to chase down shots and struggled to serve at his usual speed. His movement was limited, and he appeared to be in discomfort throughout. Ultimately, Murray retired from the match at 4-1 down, citing a back injury.
The injury adds to a long list of fitness concerns that have plagued Murray in what is set to be his final year on tour. This setback could potentially derail his hopes of a final appearance at Wimbledon, a tournament he holds dear.
Back in 2017, during his defense of his fifth Queen’s title, Murray faced Thompson and was defeated, marking the early stages of the hip injury that would eventually require a major surgery. Thompson, who won Wednesday’s match, expressed concern for Murray, acknowledging the Scot’s struggles during the warm-up and first serve.
Meanwhile, Sebastian Korda continued his strong performance in the grass-court season, defeating former champion Grigor Dimitrov in a hard-fought match. Korda, the 23-year-old American, secured a spot in the last eight with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 win over the third-seeded Bulgarian. Korda will face Rinky Hijikata in the quarterfinal after the Australian qualifier defeated Matteo Arnaldi.
Carlos Alcaraz, the defending Queen’s champion and recent French Open winner, was set to play against Britain’s Jack Draper later in the day.
