Andy Murray says he will make a decision in the next few days as to whether to undergo hip resurfacing surgery, which could postpone his Wimbledon swansong or prolong his career.
The former world number one left it all on the court in a five-set defeat to Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday in what history could reflect on as his final match as a player.
'Maybe I'll see you again'
But Murray left the door ajar for a possible return, saying courtside to a packed Melbourne Arena: "Maybe I'll see you again. I'll do everything possible to try."
The Brit had broken down in tears only days prior as he opened up about how emotionally taxing the last 18 months had been and made clear his desire to hobble through to Wimbledon and call it a day.
However, he told the media afterwards that he will assess every option available to him over the next few days and make a decision.
Murray said: "If I had the operation in the next week or so it would be unlikely that I would be able to play Wimbledon. That would be a big turnaround.
"It's a really big operation. It's a common operation but it's a big one and not an easy thing to recover from. There's a chance by having that I am not able to play again. I am aware of that.
"But it is also my best option If I would like to try to play for longer than just one more event."
A taxing 18 months
Murray underwent surgery on his right hip in Melbourne twelve months ago before returning at Queens Club in June.
Results were mixed, however, and he bowed out of the US Open in the second round before curtailing his season after the Shenzhen Open in September.
However, a highly-attended sparring match with Novak Djokovic on site last week laid bare the Brit's limitations before he geared up for this week's event.