Tennis news - Andy Murray will not play at US Open, 'doubles is done for me for now'

The former world number one had intended to play doubles at Flushing Meadows but will now switch focus and play singles at next week's ATP event in Winston-Salem.

"I'm not going to play doubles at the US Open," Murray told BBC Sport.

"My goal is to get back playing at the level that I want to on the singles court, and I've decided that I need to focus all my energies on that right now.

"The US Open, doubles and mixed, can be another couple of weeks that you are slowing things down.

"I need to focus my mind on getting matches on the singles court. There aren't many tournaments between now and the end of the year."

Asked whether he will now attempt to play a Challenger event during the US Open, Murray was unsure.

"It depends how Winston-Salem goes," he said. "The feeling I have had since my singles [his first for seven months, against Richard Gasquet in Cincinnati] was that I played decent, but that physically between now and the end of the year I want to get matches in so that for the beginning of next year, I'm feeling ready.

"So if I do well in Winston-Salem, I'll know my level is good enough and I'm ready to win matches at tour level, but if not it makes sense to drop down a level and maybe play some smaller tournaments."

Murray's decision represents a fairly significant shift in his priorities - and it's one that comes as a bit of a surprise. While his doubles and mixed doubles campaigns at Wimbledon did not end as he would have hoped, the US Open seemed the ideal opportunity for him to have another tilt at Grand Slam glory at an event he loves.

No one can be sure how successful the 32-year-old will be in his latest singles return, but he will have to swap Flushing Meadows for a Challenger event in New Haven during the second week of the US Open - or for the practice court. Given he has spent the past couple of seasons in training and rehab, to consider the latter feels like a tough move.