CANBERRA, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Andy Murray has announced his withdrawal from the Brisbane International because of a long-term hip injury that he has suffered from since 2017, and said on Wednesday that he may have to consider hip surgery.
Former top-ranked Murray was scheduled to participate in the Brisbane International on January 4th, which has been seen as an important warm-up before the Australian Open.
He failed to practice on Tuesday, two days ahead of his promising return to tennis. He fell out of the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in July 2017 after suffering from a hip injury and has since barely been on the court.
"I came here with every intention of making a strong start to the year, but sadly my team and I don't think that I could give out the best performances," Murray said in a statement, adding he has been seeking advice from medical staff.
"Obviously, continuing rehab is one option to give my hip more time to recover; surgery is the second option because the chances of success are not as high," but he added that surgery is still "something I may have to consider."
Murray has won three Grand Slams, with the last at Wimbledon in 2016, placed as runner-up five times in the Australian Open. He said he would decide by the weekend whether to stay in Australia or fly home.
