Murray plays the Sydney Tennis Classic before the Australian Open

Former world number one Andy Murray has received a wildcard for next week’s Sydney Tennis Classic main event, organizers said on Friday.

The 34-year-old Briton, who has dropped to 134th place in the world rankings after long injuries caused by hip surgery, also received a major series joker card for the Australian Open, which starts in Melbourne on 17 January.

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However, Murray’s preparations for the opening of the year in the Grand Slam began with a loss when he lost to Argentina’s 76th World Series in the first round of the Melbourne Summer Series.

“I look forward to playing in Sydney for the first time and continuing to prepare for the Australian Open,” said Murray, who has won three major and two Olympic golds.

The Sydney Tennis Classic is a new, one-off WTA 500 and ATP 250 tournament that immediately follows the men’s team-based ATP Cup.