Andy Murray accepts wildcard for final US Open tune-up event

Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Tennis Training – Ariake Tennis Park, Tokyo, Japan – July 22, 2021 Andy Murray of Britain during training. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Britain’s Andy Murray has been handed a wildcard for next week’s Winston-Salem Open, the final tournament before the start of the U.S. Open Grand Slam, organizers said.

Murray, who lost to Hubert Hurkacz in the second round of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Wednesday, was added to the main draw of the U.S. Open following the withdrawal of Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka.

The three-time Grand Slam champion, who had hip surgeries in 2018 and 2019, has played only a handful of ATP Tour-level events this year having missed the Australian Open because of a positive COVID-19 test and opting out of competing at the French Open.

Murray, who won his first Grand Slam at the 2012 U.S. Open, reached the third round at Wimbledon but withdrew from the singles at the Tokyo Games on the advice of his medical team, dashing his hopes of a third straight Olympic title.

The 34-year-old played in the men’s doubles in Tokyo, losing in the quarter-finals.

The U.S. Open runs from Aug. 30-Sept. 12.