John McEnroe sent retirement warning to Andy Murray before race to be fit for Wimbledon

Wimbledon hopeful Andy Murray has been warned he may not be able to retire from tennis on his own terms.

The 37-year-old's participation at Wimbledon this year has been thrown into doubt following the Scot's latest fitness setback. The back injury that caused him to withdraw from Queen's this week could thwart his chances of a return at SW19.

Tennis legend John McEnroe sounded a note of caution to the two-time Wimbledon champion, suggesting the farewell Murray hopes for might not materialise. Should this year mark Murray's tour retirement, bowing out at his most triumphant Slam would be fitting but perhaps more challenging due to his slide down the ATP rankings after a short-lived ascent to 36th in 2023.

After two pivotal hip surgeries, Murray's comeback indicated the potential for a resurgence despite his senior years. However, it's a sad truth he may have to accept the end of his world-class journey in elite sport.

"It's going to be hard for him to continue if he's No45 in the world because this is one of the great players in the last 15 years," said McEnroe in an interview with i Sport (via the Daily Express) in January. "And it's also going to be hard for him to retire because he loves the game and he wants that one big run, that chance of playing Novak [Djokovic] in the semis or final of a major, or Rafa [Nadal].

"But it's very rare you ever go out the way you want to go out. Look at Pete Sampras, he won the US Open at 31 years old, and decided this was the perfect time 'I got 14 majors, no one's gonna ever catch me.' I wonder if he looks back now, 20 years later and goes, 'Maybe I should have kept playing because I didn't realise that these other guys are gonna get 20 and 25, or 24 and 22.'"

Murray may not have reached the same dizzying heights as those rivals, but he made his mark and often disrupted the dominance of Djokovic, Nadal, and Roger Federer during his prime. Speculation is rife about when Djokovic and Nadal will also retire, especially for the latter, whom many believe may soon bid farewell to the sport.

McEnroe, 65, knows all too well the challenges of retirement and cautioned Murray on the difficulty of leaving competition, regardless of the timing. His key advice to the Glasgow native was to strive for minimal regrets when that he does reach the tipping point.

"So even when it seems like it's the perfect time to stop, you could end up looking back and start to second guess," McEnroe added. "Unfortunately as an athlete you feel like you're always doing that. So it's not the easiest thing to accept."

McEnroe himself retired from the ATP Tour in 1992 at the age of 33, though he briefly returned to singles action two years later. He wasn't done with tennis entirely, however, and made a doubles comeback in 2006, as well as competing in the over-45 legends event at the 2014 French Open.

The 16-time Grand Slam champion (seven singles, nine doubles) has dabbled in music and taken on various acting roles post-tennis career. That's in addition to carving out a successful career as one of today's top tennis pundits.

Murray might find it beneficial to follow McEnroe's lead and explore his own passions off the court when retirement eventually comes. However, his immediate focus will be on what could potentially be his final Wimbledon appearance in July.