Picture Credit: ATP
Following Andy Murray's announcement that he will miss the upcoming French Open in order to concentrate on Wimbledon, Swiss player Stan Wawrinka has decided to skip this year's second grand slam. For the first time since 2004, the 36-year-old will not compete in the French Open, snapping a streak of 16 consecutive appearances at the clay Grand Slam.
Injury reason behind Wawrinka's withdrawal?
The reason behind Wawrinka's withdrawal could be the surgery on his left foot that he underwent a few months ago, and his recovery may have taken longer than anticipated.
Wawrinka last won the clay-court Grand Slam in 2015, and since his first-round loss in March, he hasn't played on the Tour.
The world number 24 has been posting videos and photographs on social media from his base in Monaco. However, Wawrinka is keen to make a comeback ahead of the Wimbledon that starts in June.
As a 20-year-old, the Swiss-made his Grand Slam main draw debut at the 2005 French Open, reaching the third round before losing to eventual finalist Mariano Puerta.
Since then, has amassed a 44-15 record at the tournament, including a title in 2015 and a runner-up finish in 2017 to none other than Rafael Nadal.