British tennis player Andy Murray told reporters on Thursday that he hopes to play at this year’s Wimbledon despite undergoing spinal surgery last week.
The kind of procedure Murray had, which addressed a spinal cyst, comes with at least six weeks of recovery time. However, the three-time Grand Slam winner is hoping that he can speed up the rehab process and be on the court when Wimbledon starts on July 1.
“I feel that I deserve the opportunity to give it until the very last moment to make that decision,” Murray said. “… I’m going to wait until the last minute to see if I’m going to be able to, and I’ve earned that right to do that.”
According to Murray, if he doesn’t feel ready to play in singles, he might turn to a doubles tournament, which will give them several extra days of recovery.
Murray won the Wimbledon singles title in 2013 and 2016 while he never advanced past the second round in doubles at the most prestigious grass tennis tournament in the world.
When asked about his retirement plans, Murray said that he would retire after the summer if everything goes to plan. He wants to play at Wimbledon and make an appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics before putting a curtain on his career.
“All of the discussions and conversations that I’ve had with my team are that I’m not going to play past this summer,” Murray shared. “Obviously I’ve had the conversation with my family, and I have a family holiday booked the week after the Olympics.”
