Story highlights
Andy Murray has had back injury for more than a year
He withdrew from the Rome Masters event recently
French Open begins Sunday in Paris
U.S. Open champion and world No. 2 Andy Murray will skip the French Open because of a back injury, his agent said Tuesday.
Murray, 26, said he was not fit enough to compete in the two-week clay-court tennis event, according to the statement from Matthew Gentry.
The Scotland native consulted with doctors about the injury that caused him to withdraw from the Rome Masters during the second round last week.
The pain in the lower left of his back has caused Murray discomfort since late 2011 and is the same injury that required a painkilling injection at last year’s French Open.
Murray, who has never won a clay-court title despite training on the surface as a young teen in Spain, reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros last year.
The second grand slam of the tennis season begins Sunday.
Last year, Murray won singles titles at the Olympics and the U.S. Open. He reached the final of Wimbledon.
