Andy Murray Withdraws from 2018 Australian Open Due to Ongoing Hip Injury

Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray will not compete in the upcoming 2018 Australian Open due to his ongoing hip problem. 

According to Russell Fuller of BBC Sport, the 30-year-old "boarded a flight from Brisbane to Melbourne at noon local time on Thursday, but his ultimate destination will be London and not the Rod Laver Arena."

Murray has not played a competitive game since he was knocked out of Wimbledon by Sam Querrey in the summer of 2017.

Stuart Fraser of The Times relayed quotes from the British No. 1: "Sadly I won't be playing in Melbourne this year, as I am not yet ready to compete. I'll be flying home shortly to assess all the options but I appreciate all the messages of support and I hope to be back playing soon."

The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the calendar year, will start on January 15.

Murray posted the following message to his followers on social media recently, prompting fears he wouldn't be involved Down Under:

That was after he played Roberto Bautista Agut in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., in an exhibition match. He was also in action in a friendly fixture against Roger Federer in November. However, he pulled out of the recent Brisbane International, which he was going to use as preparation for the Australian Open.

Given his lack of action, it's little surprise to see the 30-year-old opt against scrapping for the title in Melbourne, where he has finished as runner-up on five occasions.

While he has long been at the summit of the sport, injuries have threatened to curtail Murray's stint at the highest level as of late.

According to a separate piece from Fraser, the decision on whether to have surgery on his troublesome hip "may make or break [his] career."

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Murray is one of the most determined players in the world and will be desperate to make a comeback in 2018. This latest setback will be another major blow to him, although taking his time over this issue is the sensible course of action in the long run.

The absence of the former world No. 1 will be disappointing to organisers, with a number of high-profile figures doubtful due to injury.

As noted by Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times, in the men's draw Rafael Nadal, Milos Raonic, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka all have injury worries to contend with on the cusp of the tournament.