World number two and 2012 champion Andy Murray has withdrawn from the US Open, which is due to start in two days time.
Murray, who has not played since his Wimbledon quarterfinal defeat to Sam Querrey in July, has struggled with a hip issue throughout the season, and despite previous rumours that he would be ready in time for the tournament, the Brit has become the latest player to pull out of the tournament.
The Brit’s withdrawal from the tournament means that five of the top 11 players in the ATP rankings are now out of the tournament. Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, and Kei Nishikori will be out for the rest of the season with their respective injuries, whilst Milos Raonic is aiming to be back in action after missing the final Grand Slam tournament of the year in New York.
Murray to re-consider rest of season plans
There were doubts about Murray heading into this tournament, especially considering his recent match practice and due to the fact he was seen struggling during pre-tournament practice, and any fears about his fitness have now been confirmed with the Brit now considering his plans for the rest of the season.
On paper, Murray had a fairly nice draw in New York, but said his hip was simply “too sore” for him to potentially challenge for the title and had therefore decided to pull out, making this the first time since the 2013 French Open that the former world number one has pulled out of a Grand Slam tournament.
Perhaps more worryingly for the Brit and his fans is that he will now consider missing the rest of the season, saying he'll "think about it” his plans for the rest of the season in the coming few days; he will be following a similar path to the likes of Djokovic, Wawrinka, and Nishikori if he decides to finish his season early.
Murray’s withdrawal has now seen a major reshuffle on the bottom half of the draw. Fifth seed Marin Cilic will now move into the Brit’s spot, facing Tennys Sandgren in the opening round, with Sam Querrey moving into Cilic’s spot and facing Gilles Simon, and Philipp Kohlschreiber moving into Querrey’s spot and facing Tim Smyczek.