Andy Murray's strike begins with final farewell to early return from injury ahead of Wimbledon

Andy Murray has qualified for the tournament in Geneva. Credit: Getty Images/Al Bello

Andy Murray triggered the finale of his career by taking a wild card into the Geneva tournament, a 250-point tournament that starts in less than two weeks.

The tournament announced on Murray's participation this morning, calming fears that his summer could be a bust. was torpedoed due to a serious ankle injury he suffered in Miami on March 24.

Although the Geneva field features one top-ten player in Casper Ruud, it is a low-key affair by ATP Tour standards. This comes in the week before the French Open, when most players prefer not to push themselves too hard.

For Murray, however, match practice will be a necessity after a two-month layoff caused by a torn ligament when he turned his ankle in Miami.< /p>

Murray wore a knuckle protector a couple of times. weeks and then resumed training late last month in preparation for these last few competitions. After confirming that he would do without surgery, his rehabilitation was based on strengthening other muscles and tendons to cover the damaged ligaments.

He has already explained that he plans to end his illustrious career this summer. After the match with Tomas Maszak, he said: “Now I’m looking forward to the end, I’ll try my best in the next few months and be at home with my family.”

Like most British players who grow up training on fast indoor courts, Murray has never been particularly enamored with clay as a surface, and his expected visit to Paris for the French Open feels more like a farewell gesture than a serious title challenge.

However, such is his talent that he reached the final in 2016, beating defending champion Stan Wawrinka in the semi-finals before losing to Novak Djokovic in four sets.

Even at this late stage in his career, Murray will still feel he can be competitive on grass — his favorite surface — as long as his ankle can handle the slippery courts at Stuttgart, Queens and Wimbledon.

But Wimbledon may not be Murray's last stop as he loves the Olympics and is the only singles player to defend an Olympic title.

Last week it was reported that Murray was hoping to compete in the Olympic doubles tournament. — which, like the French Open, will be played on the clay of Roland Garros in south-west Paris — with Joe Salisbury.

Murray could also play the French Open in doubles with his old friend Dan Evans. — although this is likely to prove difficult as both men's rankings have fallen outside the world's top 50 in recent weeks. They may end up needing a wild card from the French Tennis Federation, which may or may not be forthcoming.

Meanwhile, the All England Club has released details of a record turnover of £380.2 million in 2023. which contributed to an operating profit of £53.8m. Under the long-standing agreement, 90 per cent of profits are given to the Lawn Tennis Association, which is responsible for funding tennis — both grassroots and high-performance — across the UK. This brings LTA's revenue from AELTC to £48.8 million, another record.