Andy Murray out for ‘extended period’ with ankle injury

Andy Murray will be out for an “extended period of time”, he announced on social media on Monday, after suffering a serious ankle injury during his third round elimination at the Miami Open on Sunday.

In what was likely his last appearance at the Miami Open, Murray lost to Czech Tomas Machac 7-5, 5-7, 6-7 (5) in a match that lasted nearly 3 1/2 hours . The three-time Grand Slam champion previously said he did not intend to “play much later this summer” but hoped to compete in another Olympics.

With the score locked at 5-5 in the third set, Murray rolled his left ankle, dropped his racket then covered his face, screaming in pain as he jumped in his seat, grimacing. He finished the match after briefly checking the ankle.

Murray wrote on Instagram that he suffered a “complete rupture” of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and a “near complete rupture” of the calcaneofibular ligament (CFL).

“It goes without saying that this is a difficult situation to accept and I will be away for an extended period of time,” Murray continued. “But I will come back with 1 hip and no ankle ligaments when the time is right.”

Murray underwent hip resurfacing surgery in 2019.

He said he would consult an ankle specialist to determine what happens next.

Murray, 36, British, is a former world number one who won the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016.

Wimbledon begins on July 1, while the Paris Olympics begins on July 24.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.