Playing with a metal hip means Sir Andy Murray has had to ration how often he puts his body to the test in the big tennis competitions.
He pulled out of the French Open in May as he looked towards being fit for Wimbledon 2022.
But even after skipping Roland Garros, the Scot’s injury problems have continued to plague him, threatening to derail his appearance in front of home fans in SW19.
The first round draw means the two-time Wimbledon champion has avoided a seeded rival, giving the world number 51 a chance of reaching week two - if he is fit enough to play.
Will Andy Murray play at Wimbledon 2022?
As things stand, the 35-year-old is due to feature on Monday (June 27), having been drawn to face Australian James Duckworth in round one.
Murray skipped all but one tournament in the clay court season in order to prepare for Wimbledon and it looked like a wise decision as he made the final of an ATP Tour event in Stuttgart earlier this month.
But he suffered an injury in that defeat to 2021 SW19 runner-up Matteo Berrettini, which has hurt his preparations for this year’s south-west London competition, including meaning he missed out on Queen’s - a traditional run-out for the grand slam contest.
The noises coming out of camp Murray currently suggest he should be fine to return to what has been a happy hunting ground for the Brit, having lifted the long domestic hoodoo on winning the famous gold trophy with his first victory in 2013.
However, the former champ has only been past the second round once in eight attempts as tough draws and poor performances have hindered him, but he will be hoping that placing limits on his game time this year could see him progress into the second week.
What has he said about his chances of featuring at Wimbledon?
Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Andy admitted that he was not feeling 100% before his first match but he was doing every thing he could to ensure he can compete.
“The positives are I’ve been able to practise but there are certain shots I’ve not been able to practise, so that has obviously disrupted my preparations. The injury is healing but still not perfect,” Murray said.
“I’m doing all of the things I’m sure you’d expect with physios, treatment, rehab and giving myself the best chance to be here on Monday.”
When did Andy Murray last win Wimbledon?
The British number three delighted those gathered on Murray Mount in 2016 when he defeated Milos Raonic in straight sets to pick up his third grand slam.
It added to his Wimbledon victory in 2013 against then tournament favourite Novak Djokovic, again without dropping a set, and his US Open win in 2012.
The shock triumph nine years ago made him the first British player to win the tournament since Virginia Wade in 1977 and the first male victor since Fred Perry in 1936.
He has also won two consecutive gold medals at the Olympics, in 2012 and 2016 respectively, becoming the first singles player to do so.
Since then, however, the former world number one has steadily dropped down the rankings list, having been plagued by a hip problem that initially looked like it could force him to retire early.
He sunk to a career-low of number 839 in 2018 but has climbed back through the rankings, giving him his best shot of a Wimbledon run in years.
