Tennis: Murray added to US Open main draw

Former champion Andy Murray has been added to the main draw of the US Open following the withdrawal of Swiss Stan Wawrinka, tournament organisers said on Monday.

Murray, who had hip surgeries in 2018 and 2019, has only played 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.

The 34-year-old Murray reached the third round at Wimbledon but withdrew from the men's singles tournament at the Tokyo Olympics on the advice of his medical team, dashing his hopes for a third consecutive gold medal.

Murray, who won the first of his three career Grand Slam titles at the 2012 US Open, did represent Britain in the men's doubles event in Tokyo where he lost in the quarter-finals.

At last year's US Open, Murray suffered a straight-sets loss in the second round to Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Wawrinka, who captured the last of his three career Grand Slam titles at the 2016 US Open, withdrew as he continues to recover from foot surgery.

The 36-year-old former world number three underwent an operation on his left foot this year and has not played on the tour since an opening round defeat at the Qatar Open in March.

The US Open runs from August 30-September 12.

Djokovic withdraws from Western & Southern Open

World number one Novak Djokovic withdrew on Monday from this month's Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, saying he needed more time to recuperate from a season in which he won three Grand Slam tournaments and competed at the Tokyo Olympics.

"I'm taking a bit longer to recover after quite a physically taxing journey from Australian Open up to Tokyo," he wrote on Twitter.

"Sadly, this means I won't be ready to compete in Cincinnati this year so I'll be turning my focus to the US Open and spending more time with my family.

"Can't wait to see you in New York soon!"

Djokovic, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, is a two-time champion at the Masters 1000 hardcourt event played at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Ohio.

Djokovic had won all three of the Grand Slam tournaments he entered this year and had sought to be the first man to win all four and an Olympic gold in a calendar year.

But those plans were dashed when he lost to eventual gold medallist Alexander Zverev of Germany in the Olympic semi-final and then to Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta in the bronze medal match.

The Western & Southern Open runs from August 14 to August 22.