Andy Murray is battling persistent back issues in the hopes of making an appearance at what might be his final Wimbledon.
The 37-year-old British tennis icon has been plagued by injuries throughout his 30s and hasn't made it past the third round in a major tournament since 2017. Following a recent operation on a spinal cyst, Murray's prospects of competing at SW19 this year have taken a huge hit.
However, the three-time Grand Slam winner is keen to participate in any capacity, even if it means just playing doubles alongside his brother Jamie. On Monday, Murray's camp announced that he was "recovering well from his surgery and has started training again". They did, however, acknowledge that it's too soon to say if he'll be match-fit in time for Wimbledon.
By Thursday, Murray indicated that a final decision would be made "as late as possible", conceding that playing singles is "more likely" off the table.
Should the two-time Wimbledon champ get the green light, he still faces an uphill battle due to his ongoing back troubles. Golf superstar Tiger Woods has experienced similar struggles with back injuries, which have significantly affected the latter part of his career.
Woods, now 48, has suffered nine different back problems since 2013, leading to four separate surgeries. His back issues first became apparent during the 2013 St Jude Championship when he was seen doubled over in pain, suffering from back spasms in the tournament's last round.
The issue re-emerged during the 2014 Honda Classic, leading to Woods' withdrawal. It was discovered he had a pinched nerve in his back, requiring surgery and causing him to miss the Masters for the first time in his career. He made a comeback in August 2014, but suffered another back injury just weeks later.
A break didn't seem to help much either. Despite barely playing any golf between August and the following February, Woods once again injured his back during a disastrous performance at the 2015 Farmers Insurance Open.
The American underwent microdiscectomy surgery in an attempt to rectify the problem, before returning to the game in 2016. However, just six weeks after his comeback, he was forced to undergo a follow-up procedure to alleviate discomfort in his back.
In 2017, his back spasms returned, prompting yet another operation, this time to treat a disc issue in his lower back. Personal life issues hindered Woods' recovery, but after four separate back surgeries the persistent problems that had plagued him for years were reduced to occasional discomforts.
In 2019, he famously secured a historic 15th major title by winning the Masters, in what experts hailed as one of the greatest sporting comebacks in history.
Undoubtedly, Murray will be hoping for a similar sort of response to his recent surgery. However, it's going to be a monumental task considering his form and fitness over the past six-and-a-half years. The Glasgow-born star managed to conquer a persistent hip issue a few years ago.
But issues with his back, along with problems affecting his ankles, legs, groin and abdominal muscles have hampered him in recent months, and the countdown is now on to see if he'll be ready for one final flourish in south-west London.
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