Andy Murray to make last‑minute decision on playing at Wimbledon

Andy Murray, still desperate to return to tennis in time for Wimbledon, has told his team he will delay his decision until the last minute.

The two-times champion at the All England Club, who turns 31 on Tuesday, has abandoned tentative plans to make his comeback in the Loughborough Trophy, the new indoor hard court tournament which starts on Saturday.

The aim is still to play on the grass, according to an insider, but “he doesn’t yet know if he’ll be 100% and will actually play – he won’t know exact plans until much closer to the time”.

Murray, who has not played since losing in the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year and had surgery in Melbourne in January to correct a chronic hip complaint, is making a concerted effort to get his game in shape in time for a return in the Netherlands in a low-level grass tournament on 11 June, just after the French Open.

He has also committed to play in the Championships at Queen’s Club, two weeks before Wimbledon, which starts on 2 July – although he is yet to discuss his usual promotional activities for a tournament he has won six times.

Murray’s intensive rehab over the past five months, which gave him cause for optimism soon after he returned from Australia, has not produced the expected results and his on‑court preparation has stalled.

His mother, Judy, tried to allay fears that Murray’s career is in jeopardy when she spoke to the BBC during the week. “I don’t think so,” she said. “He’s still got a lot of things he wants to achieve in the game.

“His goal was always to be ready for the grass-court season and, fingers crossed, that will happen. I’m sure when he’s got some news he will share that.

The strength and depth of men’s tennis is so great that I don’t think anybody would want to come back into that environment unless you are 100%.”

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