Andy Kostka

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Andy Murray remembers his 2018 showing at the Citi Open. He remembers the pain in his right hip, how he hobbled when he walked and could hardly push off on his serves. He remembers withdrawing from the tournament, burying his face in a towel and crying following a match that finished just after 3 a.m.

Those were dark days for Murray, but he still had a way to go before he’d reach his nadir in January at the Australian Open. By then, his hip was “completely gone." Some, Murray included, wondered if the former No. 1 would ever reach those heights again.

But Murray’s back at the 2019 Citi Open, and he’s full of optimism. Shortly after the Australian Open, Murray underwent a hip resurfacing operation, which is an alternate procedure to a full hip replacement. He didn’t have high hopes for the results — his past hip operations had left plenty to be desired — but he has been pleasantly surprised, offering a lifeline for his career.

MORE TENNIS: Stefanos Tsitsipas, Nick Kyrgios find the fun in unlikely doubles pairing

So before he takes the court at the Citi Open alongside his brother, Jamie, in a doubles match Wednesday, Murray has a new question: Rather than asking if he’ll ever get back to normal, get back to competing for Grand Slams, the 32-year-old is wondering, “Why not?”

“Now, just not being in pain, it’s amazing what that will do to you,” Murray said. “How I feel every single day when I wake up, it’s amazing. I couldn’t remember what that was like.”

At this point last year, Bob Bryan, a 41-year-old doubles player, underwent his own hip resurfacing surgery.

He quickly became a sounding board for Murray, and the three-time Grand Slam winner would message Bryan “two or three times a week,” asking for updates on Bryan’s recovery and trying to determine if the operation was something Murray should try.

“He was like my guinea pig,” Murray said.

Since then, Bryan has returned to the court with his brother, Mike, and the pairing has won two doubles titles already in 2019. Bryan’s post-surgery success offered Murray more confidence in the procedure.

“I’m glad he did it,” Murray said, “because if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have maybe given it a go even.”

Murray is still in the early stages of a comeback. He hasn’t played a competitive singles match since the Australian Open, but has played doubles in three tournaments since June, including mixed doubles matches with Serena Williams at Wimbledon.

Murray has started practicing singles again, though. At the Citi Open, Murray played a set on Sunday and “seven or eight games” Monday on the practice courts. What’s holding him back from entering the singles bracket of a tournament is his cardio.

“I’m closer than maybe I thought I was,” Murray said. “All of my time in the gym recently has been building up strength and improving the flexibility of my hip. … To get to where maybe I want to get to, I’ll need to play matches and get a little bit more work done in the gym on my cardio.”

The “best, best-case scenario” would be a return to singles at the Cincinnati Masters tournament in August.

In January, Murray pondered retirement. That tearful Australian Open news conference was in stark contrast to the hopeful one Murray held in Washington, D.C. on Monday ahead of his Citi Open return.

“Why should I not be able to get back to playing?” Murray said. “What’s the reason for why I shouldn’t be able to get back to where I was? There’s no good reason for why I shouldn’t be able to. It just takes time.”