Is this the end of Andy Murray’s career? Pittstop hopes not.

Andy Murray, tennis icon, announced on January 10, 2019, just before the start of the 2019 Australian Open that his hip, which has been a source of pain for Murray for many years, was still bothering him and he would likely retire by the conclusion of Wimbledon this summer. However, after battling through a first round match that ended in defeat in the Australian Open, he suggested he may undergo yet another surgical operation in an attempt to regain mobility on the court.

Formerly ranked #1 in the world in 2017, Andy has won 45 career titles, including a trio of Grand Slams, and also has won two Olympic singles gold medals. He was the first British male in 77 years to win Wimbledon in 2013, and he won both his second Wimbledon title and second Olympic gold medal in 2016 as well. He recently lost a punishing five-set, four hour match to Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round of the Australian Open. The score was 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-2. During all of this success, he has been hampered by a lingering hip injury since the summer of 2017. He says his right hip is “ruined”, he cannot walk normally. He says he cannot even pull on his socks in the morning without wincing in pain. He had his first surgery on it in January of 2017. Murray returned to competitive tennis in June 2018, but did not feel or play the same.

Pittstop witnessed Murray play in the Wimbledon stadium during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. It was an amazing experience to watch him play and hear London cheer him on. Andy Murray has competed against, and beat, some of the greatest champions in the history of tennis. When he retires, Andy will leave behind a tennis legacy that is undisputedly one of the most financially lucrative of all-time. His career prize money ranks fourth all-time among male players, behind his three eternal rivals, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, as he is set to retire with $165 million in career earnings. Andy has been associated with a number of major firms throughout his career, including Adidas, Under Armour, Head, and Jaguar. He is not as talented as some of the big dogs like Federer or Nadal, but he is genuine, honest, and relatable, making his pending retirement very painful. Say it isn’t so, Andy.