Australian Open 2018: Andy Murray withdraws, says he's not ready to compete'

Tom Gatto

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Australian Open 2018: Andy Murray withdraws, says he's not ready to compete' image

Andy Murray will not compete in this month's Australian Open. 

The tennis superstar said Thursday his lingering hip injury is preventing him from competing. He issued a brief statement that was posted on the Australian Open's Twitter account.

The news is not a shock: Murray on Tuesday withdrew from a tuneup tournament in Brisbane and said surgery on the hip was an option. He has not played competitively since July at Wimbledon.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Federer favored as rivals struggle with injuries 

Murray is a five-time men's singles finalist in Australia, but he has never won the event.

The 2018 Australian Open will begin Jan. 15 in Melbourne.

Tom Gatto

Tom Gatto Photo

Tom Gatto joined The Sporting News as a senior editor in 2000 after 12 years at The Herald-News in Passaic, N.J., where he served in a variety of roles including sports editor, and a brief spell at APBNews.com in New York, where he worked as a syndication editor. He is a 1986 graduate of the University of South Carolina.