sport news Former Wimbledon champion Virginia Wade pays tribute to Andy Murray

An extraordinary week in the life of Andy Murray has ended with tribute being paid to him by the last British tennis player to win Wimbledon before him.

Virginia Wade has not been an unqualified fan of the 31 year-old Scot, once famously labelling him a 'drama queen', and admits they are not close.

But she has looked on from afar with sympathy and admiration as he is forced to ponder the option of undergoing another operation to try to fix his hip.

An extraordinary week in the life of Andy Murray has ended with Virginia Wade paying tribute

An extraordinary week in the life of Andy Murray has ended with Virginia Wade paying tribute

Wade has not always been a fan of the 31 year-old Scot, once labelling him a 'drama queen'

Wade has not always been a fan of the 31 year-old Scot, once labelling him a 'drama queen'

'It is an unspeakably sad situation to have a career cut short by injury, and I think everyone sympathises with the quandary he has about taking time out to have surgery, which may or may not be 100 per cent satisfactory,' she told The Mail on Sunday from her home in New York.

'He certainly showed us what extraordinary skills and smarts he has on the court. And when he is not going nuts, he is great to watch.' While Murray has expressed concern about what he may leave behind for British tennis, Wade believes the weight of his career is bound to have a positive effect.

'As for his legacy, that will be intact whatever, because he has had such monumental success and very definitely been an inspiration to the next generation of young British players. I think his impact has already been seen, with the good young players coming up in the UK.

'Maybe once the decision has been made how to go forward, it will take a lot of stress off his mind and maybe that will help him heal faster. A quick recovery would be fantastic, and I wish him all the luck in the world going forward.' Murray is back home in England mulling over his options. One complication is that he is said to have been inundated with various offers and advice from different surgeons, much of it volunteered, and is having to sift through them. He is expected to make a decision about the way ahead this week.

Andy Murray is forced to ponder the option of undergoing another operation to fix his hip

Andy Murray is forced to ponder the option of undergoing another operation to fix his hip

Before leaving Australia the double Olympic gold medallist expressed doubt that the tennis authorities had built on his success, and that is clearly something that troubles his mother Judy as well.

One of the game's sharpest brains on developing talent, from grass roots to elite level, Judy Murray has

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