Andy Murray will have hip problems for the rest of his career and beyond, according to the Australian surgeon who operated on him at the start of this year.

As the twice Wimbledon and Olympic champion prepared to launch what he hopes will be a comeback season, Melbourne-based John O'Donnell warned that he will have to manage a long-term condition in one of the key areas of his body.

Asked by the BBC's Sportsweek about Murray's admission last week that he is still in pain, the leading specialist admitted that it was hardly a shock.

Andy Murray's surgeon has said he will have hip problems for the rest of his career and beyond

'That wouldn't be surprising because he's had problems with his hip for some time,' said O'Donnell. 'It had reached a point where he couldn't play. It wasn't really at a stage where we could attempt to make his hip normal, it was just to try and make it as much better as we could. He's certainly improved but he still has ongoing problems with it.

'I think he's been walking a tightrope for some time. It's just his intense desire to do well that's kept him going as well as he has.'

O'Donnell, who performed the surgery on January 8, could not forecast whether the injury will hold up in 2019.

John O'Donnell isn't surprised Murray still feels pain as it is a long-term condition in a key area

Roger Federer is 37 and still going but O'Donnell feels there's little comparison with Murray

'It's pretty hard to predict because he's not like a normal person. He is an incredibly determined person. He just does things that are beyond what I could normally understand. It is really hard to know quite how far he can push it. If it comes down to will, he will certainly do extremely well, but he has had a lot of challenges to deal with.'

He pointed out that although Roger Federer is 37 and still going, there is little comparison between the two players.

'Roger doesn't have the long-term injuries that Andy has had to put up with. Andy's hip is an ongoing problem, not as bad as it was, but not normal.'

Murray, now world No 256, is due to play in the first round of the Brisbane International against Australian wildcard James Duckworth, the world No 241 on Tuesday.

Murray, now world No 256, is preparing to launch what he hopes will be a comeback season

The Scotsman is due to play in the first round of the Brisbane International on Tuesday

Middlesex's Harriet Dart added to the GB contingent there by coming through the qualifying rounds with an excellent 7-5, 6-2 victory over Germany's Andrea Petkovic.

In Perth the British team of Cam Norrie and Katie Boulter were hammered 3-0 in the second group match of the Hopman Cup by a Switzerland team featuring the evergreen Federer.

This is likely to be the final year of the Hopman Cup in its current form, as it is expected to be moved or submerged next year with the new ATP Cup, which will see male international teams compete in three different cities, making its debut.