Andy Murray is targeting a return to the court at the Miami Open later this month ending his extended absence from the game. He underwent a hip resurfacing operation back in January 2019 and looked to be on his way back last year before another injury setback left him unable to hit a ball for three months.
That secondary problem was thought to be a mild bone bruise before being rediagnosed as heterotopic ossification, essentially simply bone growth following his initial surgery. The 32-year-old was concerned he may need further surgery on the issue but he returned to the practice courts last week and now has his eye set on the Miami Open, in what is set to be a crucial month for the Scot.
“I’m training to try and get ready for Miami,” Murray told Amazon Prime Video.
“I’ve done so much rehab these last few months that, in terms of my strength and everything, all of the muscles around the hip are working well, it’s just I hadn’t played tennis.
“I’d hit like twice since Davis Cup for like 40 minutes in a three-month period so I need some time to build up and feel good on the court again. That’s my plans just now unless I have a setback or something.”
The former Wimbledon winner has posted on Instagram twice this week of himself on the practice courts at the National Tennis Centre which indicates his recovery is going well.
Murray’s comeback has been well covered by Amazon, as they premiered a behind the scenes documentary ‘Andy Murray: Resurfacing’ last year showing just what the Scot has been through over the past couple of years. It features footage of the gruesome surgery and having watched that, it is a miracle Murray is now on the brink of a return.
His last competitive action came back in the November in the Davis Cup as he painfully limped through one match for Great Britain before watching the rest of the competition from the stands. Having won a singles tournament in Antwerp the month before, this was a huge setback for Murray and his team and provided another obstacle for them to overcome.
However, now we seem closer than ever to finally seeing Murray return to the top of this game. The Miami Open begins on the 25 March.
