Andy Murray admits he must work on improving his ranking after the Scot dropped to No9 in the world following his quarter-final exit at Wimbledon last month.

The two-time major champion will kick off his build up to the US Open in Toronto, where he has been spotted hitting the practice courts with new coach Amelie Mauresmo.

Murray, seeded eighth in Canada due to the injury absence of Rafael Nadal, admitted he found himself caught on the hop with his preparation when Nadal withdrew last week from both Toronto and Cincinnati to let a right wrist injury heal.

Murray received a bye into the second round as a top eight seed and says he was thrown off by the change since he had been expecting to play on Monday evening, not later in the week in round two.

The 27-year-old Scot confessed he’s still trying to find traction after his September back surgery and is seeking his first title since winning Wimbledon last year.

“You don’t just come back after surgery and feel great straightaway the first few months,” Murray said. “I was happy with the French Open. That went well.

“Wimbledon obviously, not quite as well as I would have liked, although I felt like I played some good tennis before my loss there. I felt like I was playing pretty well.

“But the rankings don’t lie. I need to start winning more matches to push my ranking back up there.

“The main goal for me is to try to win Grand Slams. That’s what motivates me. That’s why I want to train.”