The ATP circuit is having a transition-like era and, a few years from now, we will be witnessing a completely different landscape. The inevitable change has already started as a new generation of ATP tennis stars has been brewing at the gates of fame and worldwide recognition. But, we're not there yet and the current establishment seems to still have a word or two to say.
Andy Murray has been one of the pivotal points in men's tennis for almost a decade. When no one thought it would be possible, he made that final ascent to the world No. 1 spot capping a perfect Year in which he made it into three different Grand Slam finals (he won Wimbledon) and captured a second gold medal at the Olympics in Rio.
It was the year of 2016 and there was a lot of hype revolving around Andy Murray's future.
The hip injury followed by a long and painful recovery
As the entire tennis world was preparing to enter the season of 2017, it seemed that a reign of Andy Murray was about to start. A sit turned out, it was not the case as he had little success during the first part of the year. He managed to clinch the title in Dubai but moving into the clay season it became obvious that his body was not fully fit. Andy went on to reach the semis at the French Open, an unexpected result given the situation. With that in his bag, he headed for Wimbledon bearing high hopes under his skin. Instead, it turned out to be his last official representation as he suffered a painful to watch defeat in the quarterfinals.
Tormented by the same hip issue, he lost to Sam Querrey in five sets.
In terms of rehabilitation, Andy Murray opted for the safest possible way which did not include the possibility of undergoing surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery was the last resort and the drastic solution he had to went after earlier his year when it became clear that the rest alone won't fix his condition.
Andy Murray is expected to bid for 2018 Wimbledon
Andy Murray underwent an arthroscopic intervention in January and is expected to resume his professional career in time for the grass court season of 2018. Basically, he might resume his career after a one-year hiatus. In terms of top tennis, this gap is huge to fill, and Murray might not be the same player after having had spent so much time away from the competitive field.
But, his long-standing rivals are also in a state of disarray and, except for Roger Federer, no one from the old guard is a threat yet.
Therefore, it won't be impossible to have an enthusiast Andy Murray being able to gather an unexpected momentum the minute he will step a foot into the fighting pit. It would be a great thing indeed, and a welcomed weighting factor into what currently is a truly one-sided ATP circuit.
And, of course, Andy Murray remains one of the most gifted tennis players in the world and we can only hope that the long break he's been having will turn out to be a good time for inspiration and reflection.