Watch Andy Murray tearfully announce his early retirement

The Big Four will soon be down to just three.

Andy Murray, one of today's tennis greats, announced Friday he'll retire no later than Wimbledon this year. The 31-year-old Scottish player didn't want to retire, but he had "no idea when the pain was going to stop" from a 2016 hip injury, he said at a press conference ahead of the Australian Open.

Murray made his hard decision while training in December, telling his team "I cannot keep doing this" after the injury caused him constant pain for "about 20 months" he said Friday. "I think I can get through this until Wimbledon" in July, Murray said, but added "I am also not certain I am able to do that."

Along with Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal, Murray has consistently topped worldwide tennis rankings. He won the U.S. Open in 2012 before earning two Olympic golds in men's singles and two wins at Wimbledon. But Murray fell 6-1, 4-1 to a practice match against Djokovic on Thursday, prompting him to say he's not at "a level that I'm happy playing at," per The New York Times.

Murray has been a constant voice for gender equality in the sport — something that was the focus of tennis icon Billie Jean King's goodbye message on Friday.