Andy Murray’s Ankle Ligament Ruptured, Putting Him Out of Commission for a Long Time

Andy Murray advanced to the Miami Open’s third round for the first time since 2016 and won back-to-back matches this year.

Murray suffered an injury during his third-round encounter against Tomas Machac just as he was about to win the tenth game of the decisive set, 5–5. He looked quite painful as he hopped and bounced, and the physio was called out immediately. Murray made the decision to go on after a short break, but he was defeated in a hard-fought tiebreak.

If it weren’t for the injury, Murray would have been confident in his ability to win the game and was playing brilliantly. That would be the least of his worries, though, as it appears that this may be his final tour season and he may not be able to attend the grass season.

Andy Murray revealed on Instagram following the match that he had a complete rupture of his anterior talo-fibular ligament in the third set. In its whole, what he said was:

“I experienced a full rupture of my ATFL and a near full thickness rupture of my CFL yesterday, at the finish of my match in Miami. When I get home, I’ll consult with an ankle specialist to figure out what to do next. Needless to say, this is difficult to accept, and I’ll be away for a while. But when the time is appropriate, I’ll return with one hip and no ankle ligament damage.

The fact that Murray managed to carry on for two games and a tiebreak with an injury like that! It just proves he is one of the biggest fighters in tennis. That ankle worried him as a teenager and is a reminder of why he has worn ankle support ever since.

Approaching retirement and a final goodbye in Miami

The two-time Miami champion stuck around to sign autographs and looked very emotional in what was his last appearance at the Miami Open. Murray in his press conference said — “I wasn’t thinking about all the matches I played. Just more that that’s the last match that I am going to play here which is sad because I love it here. Miami has been a special place for me during my career. It’s been my tennis home. I’ve done so much of my work and training and preparation here. I love the city.

“I would have liked it to have gone on a little bit longer. This tournament particularly for me is an important one so it was a bit more emotional leaving the court today than it might be at some of the other events. I am looking forward to the end now, give my best the next few months and get to be at home with my family.”

The three-time Grand champion might have given up a long time ago due to his injury issues that began in 2016, but he decided to persevere and has given it his all. Andy Roddick stated in a recent interview with Tennis Channel that Murray’s valiant actions have only “added to his legacy.”

He will tell you he hasn’t been the same since 2019 because of the hip trouble. However, his heart has remained the same. The drama and the fight are still present, even if he used to be able to turn these bouts around and hasn’t been able to since. The way Murray has grinded out the last four or five years almost adds to his legacy, in a strange way, in my opinion. I appreciate it, though I doubt I could have succeeded. Congratulations to him if this is the last time we see him in Miami. I don’t think many of us could have pulled it off. Fantastic run, friend.

For any athlete, the most crucial thing is to retire when they’re ready, not because of an injury. Andy Murray should be able to fully recuperate and retire whenever and wherever he chooses.