Tennis: Stan Wawrinka to skip 2 American events to rest injured knee

Thursday, 1 March 2018, 18:53 Last update: about 9 years ago

In this Jan. 18, 2018, file photo, Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka bends over during his second round match against United States' Tennys Sandgren at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia.

Three-time Grand Slam singles champion Stan Wawrinka is skipping hard-court events in the United States to rest his injured left knee.

Wawrinka says in a statement he will miss the Masters-level Indian Wells and Miami events to prepare for the European clay-court season.

The 2015 French Open champion says "coming back from a big surgery is complicated" and his body needs more time to heal.

Wawrinka, who will turn 33 during the Miami Open this month, ended his 2017 season with knee surgery in August.

He lost in the Australian Open second round in January, then the first round at the Rotterdam indoor tournament, before retiring from his second-round match last week in Marseille, France.

Wawrinka's ranking has dropped to No. 12.

Stan Wawrinka says he's not physically his best, worries about injury repercussions

Stan Wawrinka said he feared he might never return from a knee injury that has sidelined him since he lost in the first round of Wimbledon in June.

"For sure I worr[ied] a lot because I had eight weeks on crutches," Wawrinka said. "I started my first fitness by just walking. The thing is, it's always complicated when you're like, at that level before, you get [an] injury, you can get through [the] pain mentally also, feeling lonely, not feeling good."

Wawrinka, who won his first of three Grand Slam titles four years ago in Melbourne, also said that the idea of never playing tennis again brought him a great deal of anguish, but that he is dealing with it the best he can.

While he still feels pain in his knee, Wawrinka called it "normal," but also conceded that physically he's not at his top level.

"I've been in contact a lot with my doctor since the surgery," Wawrinka said. "I know he always told me that it was a big surgery, that it was a complicate[d] one, and it was important to take the time, not to rush, really follow all the process to get there. He knows exactly the pain I feel, the pain I don't feel. At least once a week we talk."

Wawrinka, 32, made a terrific run into the Australian Open semifinals a year ago before falling to Swiss countryman Roger Federer in five sets. His goal at this event isn't a repeat performance, but just to know he can walk away without the trepidation that his knee has worsened.

"The best that I could have dream[ed] when I had the surgery is to be here sitting in front of you and to say, 'OK, I'm going to play the first match,'" Wawrinka said. "That's something really good from my side, especially from the knee. The knee is getting way better. I still have a lot of work to do physically and also tenniswise to be to my top level."