ANDY MURRAY URGED TO MAKE RETIREMENT DECISION BY BBC PUNDIT AS THEORY IS OFFERED

Nick Kyrgios believes Andy Murray should call it quits at Wimbledon as he targets his latest comeback from injury..

Tennis star Murray, 37, was scheduled to face Tomas Machac in the first round of his favourite major on Tuesday. However, it was confirmed at the last minute that Murray will not feature in the singles tournament at SW19 this year, though he still intends to compete in the men's doubles alongside brother Jamie.

The announcement means Murray won't get the shot at a third and final Wimbledon crown like he hoped, though there's still time to write one final chapter on hallowed ground. But Kyrgios suggested this should be Murray's Wimbledon farewell regardless of how things play out during a recent appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored (via the Daily Express).

"It pains me to see him...and these are not small injuries," said the 29-year-old. "They're injuries that can actually affect your life moving forward with your family...so it's just like, at this point this should be, in my opinion, his last Wimbledon. He's achieved everything you could possibly achieve."

If Murray does indeed retire this year, he will do so without having won either the Australian Open or the French Open. However, he did reach the finals of both majors, finishing as runner-up in Melbourne five times, an Open Era record.

It certainly appears as though this will be Murray's swan song, too, after his representative said on Tuesday: "Unfortunately, despite working incredibly hard on his recovery since his operation just over a week ago, Andy has taken the very difficult decision not to play the singles this year. As you can imagine, he is extremely disappointed but has confirmed that he will be playing in the doubles with Jamie and looks forward to competing at Wimbledon for the last time."

Morgan suggested Murray might be "fearful" of leaving the world of tennis despite some seeing retirement as an alluring prospect. Kyrgios - who hasn't officially retired but hasn't played competitively in more than a year - agreed with that sentiment and cited the need for alternative distractions.

"I think it's how you look at it," he added. "I don't identify as a tennis player, it's more so just one [way I communicate]. Like, I have a 'Good Trouble' podcast, I've got tennis, and I've got so many other things. They're just ways that I communicate to the world.

"I think if you look at it like that, I think Andy needs to try [and] find how he can still communicate. I guess, for him, he may be afraid to let go because he thinks that's all he is, but you've got a great family, you're a great human. He could do anything he wants, but letting go of tennis for him might be hard - but I think he'll be fine."

Nearly two decades after turning pro, it seems like this could finally be the moment for Murray to hang up his racket. The ex-junior champ has made several comebacks over the years but is once again showing signs of struggling to keep up the pace on tour following yet another surgery.

Kyrgios firmly believes his former rival will have plenty to keep him occupied once his court days are over. However, only Murray can determine whether his exit will be as simple as it seems.

2024-07-02T09:57:29Z dg43tfdfdgfd