Former world number one, Andy Murray, has had a rather doleful start to the new year with a hip injury forcing him to pull out the Australian Open.

Murray left Brisbane Airport earlier today and was due to catch an onward flight in Melbourne back to the UK. His withdrawal means that he has been absent from top-level tennis since his Wimbledon exit on July 12 last year. 

“Sadly I won’t be playing in Melbourne this year, as I am not yet ready to compete,” Murray said.

“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.”

It was an abrupt end to Murray’s latest comeback attempt, which began on Wednesday, December 27, when he flew to Abu Dhabi.

At the beginning of this week, he was confidently forecasting that he would take his place in the Brisbane International – the tournament he has been working towards for months. But the five-time Australian Open runner-up was not looking a 100% in his practice set against Milos Raonic at the Queensland Tennis Centre, and he announced on Tuesday that he would not appear on the match court after all.

Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said earlier, “We are fully aware that Andy has been going through a difficult period with his hip and that he’s done everything possible to prepare for the Australian summer.”

He added, “Personally, I also know that Andy loves tennis and would do anything to play. This is a very hard decision for Andy and we totally respect it.

“We wish him the absolute best on his road to recovery and look forward to having him back in Melbourne. He is a true champion and one of our favourites.”

Murray might have to undergo keyhole surgery and although he admits his chances of recovery from the injury are not as high as he would like, the 3-time grand slam champion says he would give anything to fix the issue and get back on track.