Andy Murray: I don't need to play tennis again to be happy

Missing out on the French Open this year, Murray has specuated that Wimbledon may be his last Grand Slam apperance, if indeed he ever plays again.

Speaking to the Telegraph, the 32-year-old two-time Olympic gold medallist explained how much his hip injury had affected not just his sporting life, but his personal life too.

‘Obviously playing tennis was very painful,’ he said.

‘But even things like going out in the garden and trying to run around with my kids, or just going for a walk with them, my hip was always on my mind because every single step I took was painful. It was just consuming me the whole time. I don’t think I realised just how much it was affecting me, and my general well-being and happiness, until recently.

'Even sitting at the dinner table, my hip was aching. Throbbing. It was always there – even when I was sleeping. It just wasn’t fun. There weren’t many things I could do that were enjoyable.’

Murray told the newspaper how much the pain from his hip interrupted his life, and how much it had affected him psychogically.

‘I would go in the ice bath, which would make it feel a little bit better for 15 or 20 minutes,' he said.

‘I’ve spoken to sports psychologists and stuff. I don’t know exactly what depression feels like, but I was definitely very low, and at different stages feeling quite lost. I didn’t really know what to do with myself. Because… I had always thought that if I could just play tennis, it would make me happy.

'But I was getting no enjoyment out of playing at all because it hurt. I’d win some matches, but I wasn’t getting any joy out of that. In fact, it was almost making me more upset because my hip hurt the more tennis I played.’

Murray reported that he had made progress following the surgery, and was now able to run and play golf, but he admitted that he no longer fears the possibility that he might not play tennis again.

He explained: ‘When this injury came about, I was like, “Oh my God, what am I going to do?” I was really upset I might not be able to play tennis again, and at what level. Whereas now I don’t have that feeling at all. If 
I can’t… I mean, if it doesn’t happen, I’m fine.’

'You're just living in that moment of trying to bear that pain. And it takes a toll on everybody around you – my team, and obviously my family, have seen me struggling for such a long time. In the last few weeks since I’ve been able to start walking and running and doing those things, I have realised what is important.

‘And now I realise I don’t need tennis. I don’t need tennis to be happy any more. I’m very happy right now.’