Andy Murray has withdrawn from the Beijing and Shanghai tournaments, which are scheduled in the months following the US Open. Murray has been struggling with a hip injury since his semifinal loss at Roland Garros to Stan Wawrinka back in June, and aggravated the injury in an attempt to retain his Wimbledon title.
Murray posted:
“Having consulted with a number of leading hip specialists over the last week, along with my own team, we have decided that this is the best decision for my long-term future.
Although this has been a frustrating year on court for many reasons, I’m confident after this extended period of rest and rehabilitation that I will be able to reach my best level again and be competing for Grand Slam titles next season.”
Murray has struggled with form and with injuries throughout the year following his terrific 2016, and it seems as though a prolonged period of rest will do him good. As far as hip injuries go, they’re serious. Murray will need to make sure that his rehab and recovery time are spot on, and that he does not rush into action prematurely. He stated that he is looking forward to competing in a charity event at the end of the year, but realistically, it is unlikely that we will see him in action during the remainder of the 2017 season, thereby joining Novak Djokovic on the list of big stars ending their season early due to injury.
Murray’s probable absence from the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London would result in Grigor Dimitrov and Kei Nishikori qualifying for the tournament, as things stand. Although tennis fans throughout the world would be disappointed to see Murray end prematurely, both he and Djokovic can look to the likes of Federer and Nadal to see what benefits a lengthy layoff might bring. Additionally, Murray’s absence, in addition to the withdrawals of Djokovic and Wawrinka, will give opportunities to several players who would have been hard-pressed to qualify for London under usual circumstances.
