Andy Murray set to drop out of the top 10 for the first time since 2014
KEY POINTS
- Murray started the year as world number one.
- However, an injury-ridden year has seen him drop to number three in the rankings.
- The Briton is set to return to action in 2018 after last appearing at Wimbledon in July.
Former world number one Andy Murray is set to drop out of the top 10 of the ATP tennis rankings for the first time since 2014 due to his absence from the second half of 2017.
The Briton started the year as the top ranked player in tennis for the first time in his career following his win at the ATP Finals in London in November 2016.
However, poor form and injuries have hindered his calendar year with just the one title in Dubai and his best Grand Slam performance being a French Open semi-final exit.
Murray last featured at Wimbledon after his quarter-final loss to Sam Querrey and will take the rest of the year off to recover from a hip injury.
His withdrawal from the US Open saw him drop to number three in the rankings and his absence since has seen him unable to defend the points he won during a successful second half of 2016 that saw him end the year with a 24-match winning run.
Having already lost 2,000 points with absences in Beijing, Shanghai and Vienna, the 30-year-old is set to lose another 2,500 points with the ongoing Rolex Paris Masters and upcoming ATP Finals in London.
As a result, Murray could drop to at least 15th in the rankings, marking the first time he will be out of the top 10 since October 2014 when he was ranked 11th.
The fall in rankings will affect his seedings upon his return as Murray is confirmed to take part in Melbourne for the 2018 Australian Open in January.
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal is confirmed as the year-end world number one following his Paris Masters win over Hyeon Chung in the round of 32.
