THIS was the moment Andy Murray broke into tears and struggled to speak as he confirmed he will end his 14-year career on professional tennis’ ATP Tour in 2019.
The former world No 1 hopes to have one final farewell at Wimbledon, where he is a two-time champion but had to withdraw last year.
But such is the pain of his long-standing hip injury – which has restricted him to just two Grand Slam matches since July 2017 – he could well call time on his career next week in Melbourne.
The three-time Grand Slam winner had surgery on his hip a year ago but admitted he is still far away from full fitness with the pain greatly affecting his day-to-day life.
And reflecting on his chronic problem the 31-year-old Brit broke into tears and struggled to speak as his voice cracked, even having to leave the room at one point, as he addressed a room of journalists at Melbourne Park.
The 31-year-old told the media: “I’m not feeling good. I’ve been struggling for a long time. Been in a lot of pain for 20 months now.
“Wimbledon is where I would like to stop playing but I’m not certain I’ll be able to do that. I’m not certain I can play through the pain for an other four five months.”
Murray played just 14 matches in 2018 having made a long-awaited return in June after almost a year out.
