It's been a summer of uncharacteristic frustration for Andy Murray.

The three-time grand slam champion, a winner at Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016 has been sidelined for nearly a calendar year with a recurring hip injury, forcing him to miss four straight slams, the longest he has been sidelined in his career so far.

Through no fault of his own, the injury has seen a dramatic fall in Murray's world ranking, due to his inability to play matches.

After losing the British number 1 spot for the first time in 12 years, to Kyle Edmund in March, the publishing of updated ATP rankings at the start of the month did not make for good reading in the Scotsman's camp.

A ranking of 838th places Murray some 8750 points behind current no.1 Rafael Nadal the consequence of a rare 11-month continuous absence.

ATP calculates its rankings based on performance over the last calendar year in four slams and ATP-related tournaments, meaning Murray's previous achievements cannot compensate for his extended lay-off.

Despite obvious disappointment for his fans, Murray has been able to see the funny side of the situation with a light-hearted approach to his drop in places.

The Scotsman uploaded a screenshot of his ranking to his Instagram story, accompanied by a saracastic 'Proud' hashtag.

Murray's lighthearted approach has struck a chord with fans and the media alike with the former world number one seemingly determined to remain in high spirits as he works to return to the pinnacle of the sport.

The 31-year-old drew praise from fans at last year's Wimbledon championship over challenging a seemingly sexist question regarding American champions at the tournament.

Many are hoping to see Murray back on the court quickly, and may have their wish as he has taken a wild card entry into the Rogers Cup after rival Roger Federer backed out over scheduling issues.

With an eye on regaining fitness, Murray should have a good shot at closing that 8750-point gap.