Andy Murray has admitted that this year may have been his last at the Canadian Open. The world No 40 advanced to the round-of-16 to face Jannik Sinner but was forced to pull out injured moments before the match. After suffering a new setback, an emotional Murray apologised to the fans on the court and said he didn’t know whether he’d be back.
Andy Murray sparks US Open injury doubts by pulling out of Canadian Open
Murray’s run in Toronto was brutally cut short on Thursday when he picked up an abdominal strain and had to withdraw from the tournament. He reached the last-16 of a Masters for just the third time since 2017 but was unable to try and fight for a spot in the quarter-final.
After sustaining a new ab injury, he took to Centre Court to announce he was pulling out instead of giving the fans a showdown against Sinner. A three-time former champion in Canada, Murray felt he let the fans down as he confessed that he didn’t know if he’d ever play in the tournament again.
“I know I have disappointed you. I have rarely been in this situation in my career and I feel terrible,” the 36-year-old told the Toronto crowd after announcing his injury withdrawal. “I have always loved playing here, the support from the people is phenomenal and it feels special. It might be my last time playing here, and ending up like this is rubbish.”
Sharing his gratitude for the support he had received in Canada throughout his career, he added: “The fans have made this tournament special, whether it’s in Toronto or Montreal, and I’m so sorry about tonight.”
Murray also clarified that the injury was similar to one he picked up 14 months ago, which saw him miss his home tournament in Queen’s before he was able to make it to Wimbledon. “I had a similar problem last year in Stuttgart and it took me about 10-12 days to feel good again,” he explained.
“It’s not that bad, but if I keep playing I can do worse, and hopefully I’ll feel better in a few days. Very sorry.” Given the timeframe Murray outlined, it also wouldn’t come as a surprise if he were to pull out of the upcoming Cincinnati Masters.
The Brit had been playing in Toronto for the first time since 2014, with the event alternating between the Ontario capital and Montreal each year. After lifting the trophy in Montreal in 2015, he missed the tournament for six years before returning in Montreal 12 months ago and losing in the first round. This time, he beat Lorenzo Sonego and Max Purcell before pulling out.
