Andy Murray must take his time to ease back to his best before returning to grand slam action, according to Andre Agassi.

Eight-time major winner Agassi has urged British star Murray not to force himself back into frontline action until he is fully back in his prime, as the 31-year-old continues his protracted recovery from long-term hip trouble.

Murray withdrew from Wimbledon the eve of the tournament, forced to admit he was not ready for five-set action.

The two-time Wimbledon winner has not contested a grand slam since last year’s tournament in SW19, and Agassi believes he must continue to curb his enthusiasm.

“I would just hope for him not to push it,” Agassi told Press Association Sport. “I would hope he can get back to his best.”

Murray played the tournaments at Queen’s Club and Eastbourne before Wimbledon, and decided that was enough for his grass-court season.

The US Open is the next major, starting in New York on August 27.

And Agassi believes it was the right call to withdraw from SW19 if it helps to prolong his career further down the line.

Agassi, speaking at a Lavazza event, said: “He made a smart decision to withdraw in the end; it was probably not the smartest decision to try leading up, but that’s his heart, that’s his hope, that’s his fighting spirit, maybe even some stubbornness.

“So I really hope for him to be healthy. He still has a good amount of years left, so I hope he can get better.”

Meanwhile, the man who replaced Murray as Britain's No.1, Kyle Edmund, kicked off his Wimbledon campaign earlier today with a straight-sets win over Australian Alex Bolt.

Edmund rarely looked troubled throughout the majority of the contest and reacted well to being broken in the final set to emerge with a 6-2 6-3 7-5 victory.