Andy Murray used to be one of the few certain players one would choose at a first pick as a favorite to win a Tennis tournament. A baseline grinder by definition, Andy Murray's playing style had more heart encapsulated than the average.

He's one of those players who'd leave every ounce of energy on the tennis court no matter the consequences. Back in January, as the 2019 Australian Open was about to begin, Murray sent shockwaves through the whole tennis world b announcing his intention to retire from professional tennis.

It was indeed a ripple through the system although some may have seen it coming given his recent medical record.

Nothing was the same after that 2017 Wimbledon when the hip issue became an obvious problem.

According to the official ranking, Andy Murray has slipped outside the top 200, but that's no longer relevant.

Hip resurfacing surgery means a long recovery

Announcing his intention to retire from professional tennis throughout the 2019 season made his first-round match at Melbourne Park to become an intense and emotional one. His opponent felt that too as the Spaniard Roberto Bautista-Agut needed five sets to overcome an obviously ailing Andy Murray.

Right after that match, the former world No. 1 opted for the second hip surgery after the one he had to undergo back in the early days of 2018. Only this time, as Murray stated, the initial purpose of the procedure was to improve the quality of life, with no special focus on a possible return to competitive tennis.

For an athlete, hip surgery is similar to a career-ending act. But some recent statements from his mother Judy offered a glimpse of hope that someday Andy Murray may be able to play tennis again. According to skysports.com, Judy said that her son is willing to do a titanic work if a comeback would be genuinely possible.

Andy Murray's record deserves more attention

At times, some might be hearing voices dismissing Andy Murray as a prominent tennis figure. But those dismissive words can only emerge from a voice lacking substance and tennis knowledge.

Apart from all that underachiever stats and the tennis era he had to compete in, some facts and numbers remain, and it's impossible to dismiss them if put in the right context.

The Brit featured in eleven Grand Slam finals and won three of them. He has also bagged 14 Masters 1000 titles and two gold medal at the Olympics.

For a better understanding, it's enough to add that some tennis legends have approximately similar numbers of Grand Slam finals. Boris Becker made ten appearances in the final act of a Grand Slam and won on six occasions. Another tennis legend who'll serve as a comparison is Stefan Edberg. He made it into eleven finals (same as Murray) winning five of them.

When it comes to Andy Murray's career is still early to come with a final judgment. Only time will tell how history will decide to judge his career as a professional tennis player.