Speaking after his defeat by Machac, Murray admitted that he is now looking forward to bringing the curtain down on his career.
“I wasn’t thinking about all the matches I played,” he said. “More that that’s the last match I am going to play here which is sad because I love it here. I’ve spent so much of my career here and I would have liked it to go on a little bit longer. This tournament is an important one for me so it was a bit more emotional leaving the court.
“I am looking forward to the end now, give my best the next few months and get to be at home with my family.”
It is understood that the normal healing process from an injury of this kind would allow Murray to compete by July 1 – which is the first day of Wimbledon – but any setbacks would complicate things. He would also be likely to arrive at his favourite tournament without the usual body of strength and fitness training behind him.
After a shoddy start to the season in which he lost his first four matches, Murray had begun to look much better on the court in recent weeks. Finding a solid level at the so-called “Sunshine Double” – which is the name given to the two big spring events in Indian Wells and Miami – he scored wins over two former top-10 players in David Goffin and Matteo Berrettini.
Even on Sunday, he should probably have put Machac away in straight sets, had he not become distracted by the unruliness of a restless crowd and then started arguing with chair umpire Carlos Bernardes.
Despite this latest blow, and his suggestion last month that “I’m likely not going to play past this summer”, no one should assume that Murray will wave goodbye to professional tour this year. He still loves the fight with a rare and intense passion, even when his body seems determined to betray him.
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