Andy Murray had achieved this honour. Murray was knighted in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to tennis and charity. He opened the season with a loss in the semi-finals of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship to David Goffin, following which he won against Milos Raonic in the third-place play-off. Murray then reached the final of the Qatar Open, but lost to Novak Djokovic in three sets despite saving three championship points. At the Australian Open he lost in the fourth round against Mischa Zverev in four sets. Murray returned to action at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships event in
World Tennis Championship the actual tour events, as a warm-up exhibition for the top players, similar to the AAMI Classic in Melbourne. The inaugural Capitala World Tennis Championship took place from January 1 to January 3, 2009, with Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Nikolay Davydenko, Andy Roddick and James Blake taking part. Murray won the event, defeating Blake, Federer, and then-World No. 1 Nadal in the final. As of October 2009, Federer, Nadal and Davydenko announced they would return for the 2010 edition, with Stanislas Wawrinka, David Ferrer and Robin Söderling completing the field. Nadal went one further this time, defeating compatriot