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'Sad news': Tennis fans shattered over Stan Wawrinka announcement

Sam Goodwin
·Sports Editor
·4-min read
Stan Wawrinka, pictured here talking to the media at the Australian Open.
Stan Wawrinka talks to the media at the Australian Open. (Photo by Chaz Niell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Stan Wawrinka has announced his sad withdrawal from the French Open after failing to recover from foot surgery in time.

The former Roland Garros champion's team told Reuters on Tuesday that he hasn't recovered sufficiently enough after an operation he underwent on his left foot in March.

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The 36-year-old Swiss star won the clay-court grand slam in 2015 and also finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal in 2017.

He hasn't played on the ATP Tour since an opening round loss in March.

The three-time grand slam champion, a former World No.3, then underwent a minor procedure on his left foot and said he would be out for a few weeks.

But Wawrinka's recovery time has since been extended.

"After having a small surgery on his foot in March, as much as we had hoped he'd be ready to play in Paris, he wasn't able to come back to full fitness in time," a spokesperson for Wawrinka's team said.

The World No.24 has been sharing videos and photos on social media from his base in Monaco and had been a regular at the clay-court grand slam - which starts in Paris on May 30 - since playing for the first time in 2005.

"Stan is now working hard with his team for the grass-court season and hopes to hit the ground running in June," the spokesperson added.

Fans were left shattered by the news.

Andy Murray to skip French Open as well

Wawrinka joins former World No.1 Andy Murray as high-profile withdrawals from the French Open.

Murray has decided to skip the clay-court grand slam to focus on the grass-court season instead.

The former World No.1 made his return from a groin injury with a training week and two doubles matches in Rome this week and had been expected to play singles next week.

But he is still feeling some discomfort and has headed back home for more rehab and to begin training on his favourite surface, with full fitness for Wimbledon now the clear goal.

Stan Wawrinka and Rafael Nadal, pictured here after the French Open final in 2017.
Stan Wawrinka and Rafael Nadal after the French Open final in 2017. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Murray had been planning to take a wild card into one of the ATP tournaments in Geneva or Lyon next week but it emerged on Saturday that he had turned one down for the Swiss event, raising serious questions about his prospects of playing at Roland Garros.

The Scot, who has played just one match on clay since 2017, had entered qualifying for the grand slam but could also have been given a wild card had he proved his fitness.

It is yet another setback for Murray, who turned 34 on Saturday and has played just three tour-level singles matches this year.

He suffered an untimely bout of coronavirus that prevented him travelling to the Australian Open and then picked up the groin injury in his sleep ahead of the Miami Open in March.

with agencies

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