He couldn't move. His back gave out. That is what Andy Murray said this week when he was forced to retire in the second round at the tournament that serves as a prelude to Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam of the season, which he has won twice.

Murray consulted specialists and they decided to proceed with surgery. According to media reports, the tennis star was to undergo a "surgical procedure" on his injured back. Now, the two-time Wimbledon champion has been ruled out of Wimbledon, the ATP Tour confirmed on Sunday.

"After an operation on a spinal cyst, Andy Murray is sadly out of Wimbledon. Rest up and recover Andy, we'll miss seeing you there," the ATP said on X, formerly Twitter. The Scot had been aiming to make a farewell appearance at the grass court Grand Slam, which he won in 2013 and 2016 but now will need an expected six weeks to recover from surgery with Wimbledon starting on 1 July.

The Olympic Games, where Murray is the only tennis player to have won individual gold twice, at London 2012 and Rio 2016, are no longer a given, as he is in a race against time after surgery. He had been due to play singles and doubles with his brother Jamie at Wimbledon before potentially ending his career at the Olympics in Paris.

The former world number one has announced that this will be his last season before retiring at the age of 37. He has suffered from a number of physical problems, including severe knee and hip pain. His back was so bad that he was forced to retire while trailing 4-1 to Jordan Thompson at Queen's.

It was a tough blow to see him leave a tournament that has been a constant source of excitement throughout his career. Murray has had his fair share of physical problems in recent years. The former world number one underwent a hip implant in 2019, and 2024 did not start well after he tore ankle ligaments in a fall at the Miami Masters 1000.

There is little time to recover for the Olympic Games, which begin on 26 July, the day after the tennis competition, where the Briton also plans to compete in his final professional season.

When it comes to exceptional professionals, anything can happen,a s both Murray and Novak Djokovic. can attest Murray's participation is complicated, while the Serb, who withdrew from Roland Garros with a knee injury, is likely to play at Wimbledon, despite initial predictions fearing the worst.

Djokovic is another player who could be facing one of his last chances of Olympic success. He has won Wimbledon seven times, one short of Roger Federer's record. However, his only Olympic medal is a bronze from Beijing 2008.

Both players have battled fate and the hidden side of sport, injuries. Murray is the fourth player, along with Federer, Djokovic and Nadal, to have formed a stellar quartet over the past few decades. The Swiss has retired, while the other three are battling injuries with the strength that made them so special. Nadal will not be on the grass at Wimbledon as he concentrates on Paris 2024, Murray is now out too and Djokovic seems to be in the best position.