Murray, who beat the Serbian Novak Djokovic in straight sets to clinch the ATP World Tour title, has received a bye to the semi-finals of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship which takes place December 29 – 31 2016 at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City.

Murray will face the winner of the tournament’s opening match between Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Belgian David Goffin when he makes his first appearance on-court at the ninth MWTC.

The Scot will return to Abu Dhabi for a fifth time and he says now is the time for rest before turning his attention to Abu Dhabi.

“I’m now taking some time to rest before shifting focus to the next season, which for me starts in Abu Dhabi,” said Murray. “I’ve played Tsonga and Goffin a couple of times this season and I know that a final for me in Abu Dhabi certainly isn’t a given.

“I’ll be watching their day one match closely to see what game they’ve brought to the tournament as players tend to try new things there.

“It’s a chance to experiment and put what you’ve been working on in the off-season to the test against some great players, which is what makes it such an exciting tournament.”

Murray was also quick to thank UAE fans for their support, one reason for his return to Abu Dhabi.

“I receive a lot of comments from fans on social media asking me to come back to Abu Dhabi each year. Tennis fans in the UAE are always so supportive when I play, and they have a real passion for the sport,” he said.

“One of the things I know that all the players enjoy about the tournament is being able to meet fans and spend time with promising young players away from the action on centre court as well.”