Andy Murray jokingly suggested he would not play at the Citi Open in future after feeling "rinsed" by the tournament's director following his 2018 withdrawal.

In August, Murray announced before his quarterfinal meeting with Alex de Minaur that he was pulling out due to exhaustion, amid fears he could suffer a recurrence of a long-term hip problem.

After his win over Marius Copil - his third straight three-set contest, which finished at 3am - Murray had been scheduled to face De Minaur later that same day.

He said in the immediate aftermath of his victory over Copil that such scheduling woes were not good for anyone, hinting that he may opt against playing in the last eight and, before news of his withdrawal was confirmed, the event's director Keely O'Brien had her say.

"I think and hope that Andy really takes into consideration this role in his sport and as a global role model to guys and girls on the tour and kids around the world that when things are difficult and tough and the conditions aren't great that it's not okay to just give up," she said.

"I hope we see him on court [against De Minaur] fighting like he did [against Copil], because that, I believe, is the right message for anyone in this sport."

After Murray did pull out, O'Brien released a statement that read: "I am so grateful that Andy, an incredible champion, came back to D.C. to begin what we all know will be a great comeback. I sincerely respect his decision and know that his health and recovery process is his top priority, as it should be."

But in an Instagram Q and A on Tuesday, Murray was asked if he would return to the Citi Open in 2019, to which he replied: "Probably not after the tournament director rinsed me," followed by a crying with laughter emoji.