SCOTLAND has woken up to the news that all the nation’s sports fans has long been dreading: Sir Andy Murray plans to retire after this year’s Wimbledon.

In an emotional press conference at the Australian Open in Melbourne, the 31-year-old spoke tearfully of his struggles to recover from the hip surgery which he underwent in Australia this time last year. While he will still play his first round match at Melbourne Park this year, against Roberto Bautista-Agut of Spain, the three-time Grand Slam and two-time winner said he wasn’t even sure the troublesome joint would last until the grass courts of England.

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"I'm not sure I'm able to play through the pain for another four or five months,” he said during a press conference which saw him break down in tears and leave the room. "I want to get to Wimbledon and stop but I'm not certain I can do that."

The former World No 1 has played just 14 matches since undergoing surgery last January and ended his 2018 season in September to spend time working with rehabilitation expert Bill Knowles out in Philadelphia. Minds in the Scots camp have been focused further since he looked short of the required level when playing world No 1 Novak Djokovic in an open practice match at Melbourne Park on Thursday

"I'm not feeling good, I've been struggling for a long time,” said Murray in his press conference. "I've been in a lot of pain for about 20 months now. I've pretty much done everything I could to try and get my hip feeling better and it hasn't helped loads.

"I'm in a better place than I was six months ago but I'm still in a lot of pain. I can still play to a level, but not a level I have played at. The pain is too much, I need to think about my quality of life.”

Murray concedes that he is no longer able to perform to the level which saw him win the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016 and admitted he wouldn’t rule out further surgery in order to alleviate the pain he feels each day, something which would likely end his career there and then.

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"The pain is too much really," he said. "I need to have an end point because I'm playing with no idea of when the pain will stop.

"I'd like to play until Wimbledon - that's where I'd like to stop playing - but I'm not certain I'm able to do that.

"I have the option of another operation which a little bit more severe - and involves having my hip resurfaced - which would allow me to have a better quality of life and be free of pain.

"That's something I'm seriously considering now. Some athletes have had it and gone back to competing but there's no guarantee of that. If I had it, it would be to have a better quality of life."