Andy Murray may opt out of challenging for a third Olympic gold medal at Roland Garros in Paris if he is not selected to play in the doubles tournament.
The three-time Grand Slam winner and two-time Olympic champion is eligible to compete in the singles at the Games with two places reserved for players who have previously won a Grand Slam or Olympics tournament.
But his preparations for what is expected to be his final summer in the sport got off to an inauspicious start as he lost in the first round of the Stuttgart Open to American Marcos Giron on Tuesday.
Murray could complete at his fifth Olympic Games in Paris this summer
Looking ahead to Paris, Murray could miss out on the doubles with Britain set to send Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski instead.
The 37-year-old could now be entering the final weeks of his stellar career after previously hinting at retirement. He is set to return to London to play at Queen’s where he dominated for so long in his career, hoping for a longer run than in Germany before the start of Wimbledon on July 1.
“I need to see what happens with the Olympics,” he told reporters after his 6-3 6-4 defeat to world No 54 Giron.
“I’m not 100 per cent sure what the situation is there with the doubles yet and whether or not I will play if I just get in the singles. I don’t know.
“My body didn’t feel great playing on the clay in the last month or so. I had quite a few issues with my back, so I don’t know if I would go just for singles.
“I need to wait a little bit and see on that,” added the Scot, who lost in the first round of the French Open doubles alongside Dan Evans.
The tennis tournament at the Olympics will take place at Roland Garros from July 27-August 4.
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Highlights of the Stuttgart Open match between Murray and Marcos Giron
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