Andy Murray is likely to have to wait several days before learning how long he will be sidelined for by the ankle injury he suffered in Miami.
The Scot cried out in pain and fell to the floor late on in his third-round defeat by Tomas Machac at the Miami Open on Sunday after hurting his left ankle.
Murray was able to complete the match after on-court treatment but revealed in an Instagram post on Monday that he had seriously damaged two ligaments and would be out for an “extended period”.
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The 36-year-old has now headed home but the PA news agency understands swelling in the joint means Murray must wait before consulting specialists for further assessment.
It is less than 10 weeks until the start of the British grass-court season and just over three months until Wimbledon, where Murray had planned to play for the final time before retirement.
He has also targeted a final Olympic appearance in Paris but all those could depend on whether he needs an operation or if non-surgical measures will suffice.
It is cruel timing for the three-time grand slam champion, who had won back-to-back matches for the first time this year in Miami and looked to have turned a corner after a difficult spell where he admitted he was not enjoying tennis.
Having battled for years to recover fully from the hip problems that surfaced in 2017 and resulted in two major operations, Murray previously said he would probably not attempt to come back from another serious injury.
But his Instagram post ended on a typically defiant note, with the former world number one writing: “Yesterday towards the end of my match in Miami I suffered a full rupture of my ATFL (Anterior Talo-Fubular ligament) and near full thickness rupture of my CFL (Calcaneofibular ligament).
“I will see an ankle specialist when I return home to determine next steps. Goes without saying this is a tough one to take and I’ll be out for an extended period. But I’ll be back with 1 hip and no ankle ligaments when the time is right.”
Murray’s fellow players were quick to offer their support on social media, with Emma Raducanu posting two praying emojis.
