Murray pulls out of Dubai due to recurring hip injury

[February 27, 2023]   (Reuters) - Andy Murray has withdrawn from the Dubai Tennis Championships this week due to a recurring hip issue, tournament organisers said on Monday.

The 35-year-old, a three-times Grand Slam champion, is no stranger to hip problems and was on the verge of retirement in 2019 after having surgery the previous year.

Tennis - ATP 250 - Qatar Open - Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Doha, Qatar - February 25, 2023 Britain's Andy Murray in action during his final match against Russia's Daniil Medvedev REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari

However, he got his career back on track after another operation and stormed into his fourth ATP final since returning to the tour at last week's Qatar Open where he was beaten by Daniil Medvedev.

"We regret to inform you that Andy Murray is unable to participate in this year's tournament," Dubai organisers said in a post on Twitter. "Andy has been dealing with a recurring hip injury that has unfortunately forced him out of Dubai."

Murray said after his defeat by Medvedev that he would have to manage his body better, especially after physically demanding matches.

"At my age and with some of the issues that I've got, I do have to be mindful of those things. I cannot just keep going until something happens," Murray said.

"I need to be a bit smarter with that."

Murray's pullout from Dubai comes a day after fellow Briton Emma Raducanu, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, withdrew from the Austin Open in Texas due to tonsillitis.

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru)

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