The former world No 1 has so far been restricted to doubles action since returning following his hip operation in January, and played in the mixed event alongside Serena Williams at Wimbledon.

Andy Murray and brother Jamie have fallen at the quarter-final stage of the Citi Open in Washington to Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus after a closely fought three-seat encounter.

The news, which was announced by the Scot on his Facebook page, comes seven months after his tearful revelation in Australia that his career could be over.

Andy Murray continued his singles comeback with a straight-sets defeat by Tennys Sandgren at the Winston-Salem Open in North Carolina on Monday night.

In order to qualify, GB are reliant on him using up one of his 'protected ranking' entries. Murray is counted as a world No 2 for these purposes under the scheme that helps the long-term injured return.

MIKE DICKSON IN NEW YORK: The US Open was where Andy Murray made his Grand Slam breakthrough, but it is brother Jamie who gone on to become a Flushing Meadows specialist.

The former world No 1 is stepping up his singles comeback following hip surgery in January and will return to the ATP Tour at the Zhuhai Championships beginning on September 23.

It was not just his recent award for having Britain's 'Rear of the Year' that was giving Andy Murray cause for celebration yesterday. He also added another tournament to his hectic schedule.

Despite being sceptical about the January date, Murray on Friday exercised his right to enter the GB team under his protected ranking of number three, which guarantees qualification.

Andy Murray was knocked out of the Zhuhai Championships at the last-16 stage after a three-set tussle with Australia's Alex De Minaur. Murray had been hoping to follow up his victory on Tuesday.

JONATHAN GORNALL: There are two things you can do to avoid osteoarthritis or keep it at bay once joints start to stiffen and feel painful: stay active and watch your weight.

Andy Murray is finding his comeback so exhausting that he needed to take a nap before performing his post-match media duties after making the last eight of the China Open.

As another week on the sporting landscape races by, Sportsmail's Daniel Matthews examines who has left themselves hot, and who is firmly out in the cold.

MIKE DICKSON IN ANTWERP: Forty miles and nearly four years from a great win, Andy Murray was on Tuesday night back on court in Belgium, seeking to complete his four-week comeback tour.

MIKE DICKSON IN ANTWERP: Andy Murray has admitted that his expected dream team partnership with brother Jamie may not materialise in the forthcoming glut of team competitions.

MIKE DICKSON IN ANTWERP:Andy Murray may have had his hip covered in metal, but nobody ever suggested his mentality needed any resurfacing.

Andy Murray will represent Great Britain for the first time since 2016 after being called up to the Davis Cup squad. The call up comes a day after Murray's memorable European Open triumph.

MIKE DICKSON IN ANTWERP: 'I know I'm a pain to work with but at the same time when I've been asked to do something I do it and I don't skip days,' said Murray after his triumph on Sunday.

MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: It was the night of May 12, 2017. Later, Chelsea under Antonio Conte would win the title. For now, the Hawthorns was alive with anticipation.

The 38-year-old, currently ranked three in the world, had committed to playing the inaugural tournament in Australia at the start of 2020, but has opted out in order to spend more time with his family.

MIKE DICKSON: Given that he lodges at his sister's flat in Peckham, doubles player Joe Salisbury will not have a long commute to London's O2 Arena next week.

The baby, born in London this month, inherits the middle name which has passed down the Murray (pictured, Andy and Kim) family's male line for generations.

Tim Henman's return to top level performance tennis as captain of Britain's team for the ATP Cup was confirmed on Thursday night after the new competition was launched.

Andy Murray has encouraged everyone in tennis to get behind the new Davis Cup format masterminded by Gerard Pique. The event begins at Caja Magica in Madrid on Monday.

MIKE DICKSON IN MADRID: There are certain privileges that come with winning three Grand Slams and a Davis Cup for your country as Andy Murray is finding out this week.

Andy is playing in the Davis Cup for the first time since 2016 but is in the unusual position of being the singles number two, with Dan Evans and Kyle Edmund battling for the number one spot.

MIKE DICKSON IN MADRID: From Andy Murray there was the unprecedented confession that he had let his high standards slip when it came to preparing for this Davis Cup finals week.

Andy Murray, who was on court for just shy of three hours, looked physically spent at the end of the 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 and admitted after that he is not in the best shape and so it was logical to rest him on Thursday.

MIKE DICKSON IN MADRID: Andy Murray was reduced to the role of courtside spectator as his brother Jamie and Neal Skupski put Great Britain through to the quarter finals of the Davis Cup.

MIKE DICKSON IN MADRID: GB has fought its way through to a quarter-final at this self-styled 'World Cup of Tennis.' It is not football, but the whole thing has a certain ring to it.

MIKE DICKSON IN MADRID: There is no haunting of this Great Britain Davis Cup team by the ghost of Andy Murray, and they charged through to the semi-finals on Friday night.

MIKE DICKSON IN MADRID: Nothing has been able to derail Kyle Edmund, not even the surprise of finding his opponent had been changed at the last minute.

MIKE DICKSON IN MADRID: Andy Murray was sitting on the team bench, contorted with anxiety, while his elder brother was heroically trying to force GB into the Davis Cup final.

MIKE DICKSON IN MADRID: Leon Smith hopes Great Britain can return to Madrid next year with an even stronger Davis Cup team after narrowly missing out on a place in the final.

Andy Murray said he can finally play without worrying about his hip following career-saving surgery in January, but says next year's Australian Open is a big test of his progress.

One of the key figures behind Andy Murray's remarkable comeback this year has admitted there can be no guarantees about his fitness in 2020.

Andy Murray still expects to play in Australia next month, despite abandoning plans to go through a two-week training block in Miami.

EXCLUSIVE:Tim Henman is set to make a shock comeback to high performance tennis by captaining the Great Britain team in January's new ATP Cup.

Andy Murray showed his light-hearted side in sharing a video of one of his quirkier exercises as he stepped up his off-season preparations.

Andy Murray's hopes of an emotional return to the Australian Open next month have been crushed after he was forced to abandon plans to make the long journey to the southern hemisphere.

MIKE DICKSON IN SYDNEY: Tim Henman got an abrupt introduction to the joys of team management and coaching immediately after touching down in Sydney.

MIKE DICKSON IN SYDNEY: They romped to a 3-0 win over the bottom team of their qualification group at the Ken Rosewall Arena which included Dan Evans taking down world No 46 Radu Albot 6-2 6-2.

MIKE DICKSON IN SYDNEY: Tim Henman has admitted he always feared he would be unable to call upon Andy Murray for the ATP Cup after he learned of his bruised pelvic injury.

Juan Martin del Potro has become the latest high-profile casualty of the Australian Open after it was announced the Argentine has withdrawn from the first Grand Slam of 2020.

MIKE DICKSON IN MELBOURNE: Andy Murray has issued a concerning update on his latest fitness struggles, stating that he was pulling out of his two scheduled tournament appearances.

There is no mention of Murray in the publicity for next month's Miami Open and sources have told Sportsmail that getting himself right for the grass courts in June is now a more realistic target.

Murray is currently sidelined through injury, this time pelvic bruising that has kept him out of action since November, with no indication yet when he will be able to make his comeback.

Andy Murray has admitted his dream of returning to Wimbledon this year is in the balance after he suffered further complications from hip surgery.

MIKE KEEGAN - SPORTS AGENDA: Andy Murray still holds out hope of making his comeback at the Miami Open later this month despite ongoing threat of the coronavirus spreading.

Judy Murray will reportedly take part in Celebrity MasterChef 2020.