Andy Murray’s shoes and wedding ring were stolen before the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells

Andy Murray knows exactly how painful double fouls are on the tennis court, and this week he has seen Scottish stars as painful as they are off the field. A thief took off Murray’s tennis shoes before BNP Paribas ’opening match, and the pair came up with something extra: Murray’s wedding ring.

In an Instagram post on Thursday, Murray explained how he lost his shoes and ring, then asked for help finding them. Murray – who married Kim Sears in 2015 – said he left his shoes outside to ventilate because they were “wet, sweaty and smelly” from a morning training session. Her wedding ring was tied to the laces because she couldn’t play.

Since Murray’s California hotel room had no balcony, he decided to leave his shoes under the car at night. They went in the morning. When Murray returned to train with a new set of shoes from a local professional store, someone asked where his wedding ring was, and Murray’s “oh no” feeling sank.

“Yeah I know I’m an idiot and looking back I find it a tremendous idea,” Murray, 34, wrote on Instagram, “but I need help.”

“Needless to say, I’m in a bad book at home, so I want to find it,” he added in the video.

Murray, the 121st player in the world, will compete against Adrian Mannarino, the 51st in the world, in the opening test of the Indian Wells BNP Paribas Open. His Southern California experience has been tough so far, so Murray hopes to have a turnaround by then.