Tennis news: Britain's Andy Murray unlikely to play in Davis Cup

Britain will face tough competition as Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Joe Salisbury, and Neal Skupski prepare for the final draw. Norrie and Evans are in the top 25, while the remaining two players are first and third-ranked in men's doubles, respectively. 

Murray brought Britain its first Davis Cup title in 79 years in 2015 and was last seen in the tournament in 2019. World number 43's absence is attributed to the issues he has been facing after undergoing two hip surgeries. 

"I don't expect to play," said the 35-year-old on Tuesday. "Every one of us sitting up here deserves the opportunity to compete. If I don't play at all, I trust the players who go out there will do a great job and win matches for us."

He also appeared to regret skipping the 2021 edition of the tournament. He revealed he was tired back then and unsure of competing. However, he changed his heart when he saw his compatriots playing. 

Britain is slated to start their Davis Cup campaign against the United States on Wednesday. The top eight teams from the group stage will enter the knockout rounds, scheduled to unfold in Malaga in November.

Alexander Zverev is in extreme pain, likely to rest for a few months

25-year-old Alexander Zverev was named to Germany's squad last month for Davis Cup, but after missing Wimbledon, he has experienced another setback in his recovery. 

Zverev sustained an ankle injury during his semi-final clash against Rafael Nadal at the French Open in June 2022. He exited the court at Roland Garros in a wheelchair and then underwent surgery to fix three torn ligaments in his right ankle.