Three-time grand slam champion Andy Murray has withdrawn from the French Open.

The 36-year-old British player lost in the 2016 final to Novak Djokovic and reached four other semi-finals at Roland Garros in western Paris.

Play begins there May 28 and the tournament will also be without record 14-time champion Rafael Nadal, who announced on Thursday that his lingering hip injury still has not healed properly.

Murray looks set to be protecting his physical health to prioritise Wimbledon, where he was won two of his majors on grass.

Murray lost in the first round of the Italian Open last week and was then beaten 6-3 6-0 by fellow veteran Stan Wawrinka at an ATP Challenger event in Bordeaux on Wednesday.

Murray reached the No.1-ranking in late 2016. That stellar year, he reached three major finals — winning Wimbledon for the second time — clinched his second Olympic gold medal in singles, and beat Djokovic to win the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals.

Murray, who had hip operations in 2018 and 2019 — with a metal implant inserted the second time — won an ATP Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence in early May for his first tournament trophy since 2019.