Andy Murray's herculean run to no. 1 ultimately led to his downfall

I don't know whether you write your own headlines or it's a sub, but for accuracy (if not clicks) I'd replace "led to" with the less dramatic, "accelerated".

Look at the "run" in 2016 which led to being #1 by 630 pts:

Madrid  F (Djoko)
Rome   W
RG       F (Djoko)
Queens W
Wimb'n W
OG       W
Cinc'i    F (Cilic)
USO     QF (Nishikori in 5-setter)
DC       (2: w/l including 5-setter vs. Del Boy)
China    W
Shang'   W
Vienna   W
Paris      W
WTF       W

The first unspoken question is what would he have done differently?  Any answer is heavily influenced by hindsight and probably glib: go at least one better in the USO? miss the DC? give at least one of China or Vienna a miss? possibly both?

The next question is how could 2017 & 2018 have panned out better for him - was his hip problem exacerbated by overloading matches in a short(ish) period which could have been avoided (or postpopned) by more rest, or more a mileage issue that was set to make it's presence felt anyway?

Only Murray can know, and he's probably too raw now for real perspective, but from my vantage point of admittedly incomplete knowledge it was worth it. He was always the least naturally athletic of the big 4 and so liable to have less matches at the very top level in him, any top player knows how close injury and disaster lies.  I doubt that players plan their matches from looking at their opponents, but even so he could not have known that Djoko was headed for a time out, or the career trajectory of the mercurial Wawrinka (or indeed any of the others including the Fedal comebacks), and he seized his chance, which ultimately is what all professional sportspeople should live for.

They do the headlines, Barry. 

Good post.

Not sure I agree with the article. Did it accelerate the physical decline? I'd argue not. When Agassi made those comments on Nadal, he was already at the age of 18 playing a brutal level of tennis. Murray didn't embrace until much later in his career. I guess the big question would be did Murray delay surgery for too long? Because clearly what was at the forefront of his mind was how much time would be spent in recovery. Because that is a driving factor in the decision to have a second op and attempt a comeback at the level he was at. 

Regardless of style of play, who is to say he wouldn't have said issues given the guy was born with a Bipartite Patella. Don't think genetics was on his side.