Andy Murray is no longer in pain but remains unsure whether he will be able to play top-level tennis again.
The former world number one had his second hip operation five weeks ago as he bids to overcome a problem that first became a serious issue in the summer of 2017.
Speaking at Queen’s Club while announcing a long-term partnership with British clothing brand Castore, Murray said: “I want to continue playing, I said that in Australia. The issue is I don’t know whether it’s possible.”
That may yet turn out to be the case but Murray will attempt to break new ground by returning to top-level singles action.
He said: “I’m a lot happier now than I was, certainly the last 12 months, because I have no pain in my hip now and I was in pain for a long time.
Castore was set up by brothers Phil and Tom Beahon in 2015 and Murray first wore the clothes on a match court in his dramatic five-set loss to Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round in Australia.
While a long-term partnership would indicate Murray is hoping to play for several more years, the Scot is also thinking ahead.
He will become a shareholder in the company and help with product development as Castore looks to establish itself in the tennis market.
Murray, who has invested in a number of British start-ups, said: “It’s high-quality clothes and the fact it’s a young British company, it’s two brothers who have played sport, there’s synergy there obviously with my story.
“Normally the brand-athlete partnerships are you get paid to wear the clothes on court and take some photos, then at the end of that contract there’s a negotiation. Whereas with this it was quite different. Obviously I’ll have some equity in the business.
“It’s something that, even when I’ve finished playing, I’m going to have a big involvement in as well and, as I start to get a bit older, you start to realise there’s other things that you have to look for and different interests, and this is something that was really exciting for me.”
