The end is near for former world number one Andy Murray, who is planning to retire at Wimbledon amid his ongoing hip woes.
Murray broke down in tears at Melbourne Park on Friday, when the three-time Grand Slam champion revealed the Australian Open could be his final tournament.
The Brit is scheduled to face 22nd set Roberto Bautista Agut in the opening round in Melbourne.
With the injury-ravaged 31-year-old intending to call it quits in 2019, Omnisport looks at the timeline of Murray's hip woes.
June 27, 2017 – The start of Murray's plight. A sore hip forces him to withdraw from an exhibition match at the Hurlingham Club on the eve of Wimbledon.
July 5, 2017 – Murray reveals he has been managing a hip problem for at least seven years ahead of his Wimbledon title defence. "It is something I have been dealing with since I was 22 or 23 years old, off and on," said Murray, who thought the pain he felt following his French Open semifinal loss to Stan Wawrinka was due to a lack of playing time.
July 12, 2017 – Murray – noticeably struggling with his hip – loses in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, ousted in five sets by Sam Querrey.
August 26, 2017 – After withdrawing from two Masters events, Murray then pulled out of the US Open just two days out from the tournament in New York. "It's too sore for me to win the tournament and ultimately that's what I was here to try and do," said the Scot.
Related: Murray's career ahead of retirement
January 8, 2018 – On the back of his Brisbane International withdrawal six days earlier and following consultations with hip specialists during the latter stages of 2017, Murray undergoes surgery in Melbourne. "I'm very optimistic," Murray said. "The surgeon was very happy about how it went. He felt that my hip will be feeling better than it did a year ago."
June 6, 2018 – Murray's return to the court is delayed as he pulls out of the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships.
June 19, 2018 – Having not played since Wimbledon, Murray makes his long-awaited comeback in a three-set loss to Nick Kyrgios at Queen's Club.
July 25, 2018 – Murray tastes victory for the first time in almost a year, beating Wawrinka, before falling to compatriot Kyle Edmund at Eastbourne.
July 1, 2018 – Wimbledon comes too soon for Murray, who cites his lack of readiness for best-of-five-set matches.
August 3, 2018 – Murray returns to the ATP World Tour in Washington, where he reaches the quarterfinals of the Citi Open before pulling out of that tournament and the Rogers Cup amid concerns over exhaustion and the potential to suffer a recurrence of his hip injury.
August 29, 2018 – New York sees Murray make his grand slam comeback, falling to Fernando Verdasco in the second round after seeing off James Duckworth.
September 29, 2018 – Murray brings his season to an end by pulling out of the China Open following his quarter-final run at the Shenzhen Open.
January 2, 2019 – His comeback at the Brisbane International ends with a second-round defeat to Daniil Medvedev.
January 11, 2019 – Murray reveals his plans to retire at Wimbledon if he makes it that far.
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