Andy Murray said he will "probably" have an operation on his debilitating hip injury as doubts emerge over a possible Wimbledon farewell after his spirited Australian Open exit.
Murray revealed plans to retire at the All England Club, where he has won two of his three grand slams, before the Australian Open got underway due to his ongoing hip woes.
The former world number one said he would decide whether to have further hip surgery following Monday's gallant five-set loss to Roberto Bautista Agut.
Murray kept the door ajar for a Melbourne return next year in his post-match news conference, though the 31-year-old appears to be leaning towards potential career-ending surgery.
"Probably to have the operation," British star Murray replied when asked what route he would take.
"If I had got smoked I would have been like: 's***, I don't want that to be the last match that I play'. But because of the way the match went and actually how I finished the match, I literally couldn't have done any more.
"That was my maximum. My hip was completely gone at the end of the match. I couldn't have done any more. It was an amazing atmosphere. It was brilliant, so that would be a nice way to finish as well. I think I would be able to deal with that being my last match."
Murray continued: "I would definitely play Wimbledon if I didn't have the operation because my hip isn't going to be much worse off after this match.
"My hip is screwed anyway so it's not like the match [against Bautista Agut] is going to make it any worse than what it is.
"If I took a few months off and didn't play, I could definitely get myself on the court to play Wimbledon one last time. I could be competitive. I was competitive here against a top player with very little practice and matches – and grass is a better surface for me.
"Option B gives me the best chance of playing at Wimbledon. The first option makes my life a lot more comfortable and enjoyable, but potentially means I never play again and also miss Wimbledon. That's what I need to decide."
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