Andy Murray recently took to social media to update his fans on the nature and severity of the back injury he sustained at last month's Cinch Championships at Queen's.
Murray underwent a scan immediately after retiring from the ATP 500 grass-court event, which was expected to serve as his preparatory tournament before Wimbledon. His doctors found out that he had a spinal cyst and was required to undergo surgery.
The timing of the injury would throw a spanner in the works as Murray's chances of playing Wimbledon hang by a thread. The former World No. 1 opted for the harmless procedure and it was originally reported he had withdrawn from his final Grand Slam.
Murray's mother, Judy, refuted those reports after some of the information about his medical diagnosis was leaked to the press. Instead, the three-time Grand Slam champion gave himself every possible alternative to play in singles, even at the expense of his future health, and his name was in the draw.
But his efforts bore no fruit, and Murray withdrew from his scheduled first-round match against Tomas Machac on the opening day of this year's Championships. However, he had signed up to play in the men's doubles tournament with brother Jamie and mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu.
He would be honored with a special on-court ceremony after his doubles match, which he lost. That proved to be his last match on Centre Court because Radcuanu was unfit to play their mixed doubles match on Court 1 on the first weekend of the tournament because of a stiff wrist.
Murray has now detailed the chastening journey of his surgery, recovery, and getting to walk on the grass courts of Wimbledon against all the odds. He shared two pictures on his Instagram, presumably before and after surgery of a large lump on his back with the caption, "Back healing nicely."
The 37-year-old will be preparing for his last professional tournament at the upcoming Olympics before his retirement from the sport, where he will be gunning for an unprecedented third gold medal at the event. He will team up with fellow Brit Daniel Evans in doubles.