Speculation swirls over Andy Murray’s retirement as possible final schedule emerges

Speculation is swirling suggesting Andy Murray will confirm his plan to retire at Wimbledon this summer.

Murray hinted he was heading into the “last few months” of his tennis career after he recovered from a set down to beat Denis Shapovalov in Dubai to secure his second win of 2024 on Monday.

It was one of Murray’s most impressive performances in recent months, which have served up a story of relentless disappointment for the three-time Grand Slam-winning legend.

Yet despite his win, Murray appeared to give a broad hint that his career may be coming to an end, as he stated he does not have “too long left” in the sport.

He went on to add to that comment as he hinted he was running out of belief in his ability to compete at the top.

“I still love competing and still love the game, but it gets harder and harder the older you get to compete with the young guys and keep your body fit and fresh,” he stated, in an interview that saw him show real emotion as he thanked his father for travelling to Dubai to watch him perform.

“Not easy, I probably don’t have too long left, but I’ll do as best as I can these last few months.”

Those comments added fuel to the rumours that 36-year-old Murray will play his final match at Wimbledon this summer, with the prospect of the Scot playing one last time in British grass court events this summer.

READ MORE: Andy Murray may have accidentally given a big retirement hint after Dubai win

Murray is set to travel to Indian Wells and Miami to play in ATP 1000 events and he has also entered the second-tier ATP Challenger tournament in Phoenix that gets underway on March 12.

That entry suggests Murray is not expecting to play too many rounds at Indian Wells, as the top tier event will still be ongoing when the Phoenix tournament gets underway.

Murray will then play in Miami, where he is a two-time winner of the tournament.

What comes after that will be a point of conjecture for Murray and if he is planning to call it quits after Wimbledon, there has to be a good chance that he will only play a limited clay court season.

He may decide to make a farewell appearance at the French Open as an early exit in Paris would still allow him to start his grass court season at the LTA’s Surbiton Trophy, where he won the ATP Challenger title last year.

Murray could then continue his ‘farewell tour’ of British tournaments by playing at the Nottingham Open, where was also a champion last summer.

That would precede his final appearance at The Queen’s Club Championships, where he is a record five-time champion.

That could precede a final appearance at Wimbledon, where emotions would be running high for the two-time All England Club winner.

It would be fitting to be given a special send-off at Wimbledon, where he also won an Olympic gold medal at the London 2012 Games.

There has been no official comment from the Murray camp over his plans for what could be the end of his career, yet it appears increasingly likely that we are in the final phase of a career that has seen the Scot claim a stunning $64,373,075.

Murray will look to extend his run at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday when he takes on No 5 seed Ugo Humbert.

“There have been some signs of progress over the last couple of weeks,” Murray said after his win against Shapovalov.

“It’s not obviously exactly where I’d want it to be, but it’s better than where it was.

“Winning matches is what gives confidence. A lot of people, I don’t know whether it’s psychologists, believe that you can improve your confidence by working hard away from the court, training hard, working on all the right things.

“The number one thing in sport that builds confidence is winning matches. That’s my belief and what I’ve experienced.”