The French Jo-Wilfried Tsonga joined Roger Federer in the personal official announcement that he will leave the Australian Open 2021 after failing to fully recover from a back injury.
The 35-year-old has not played since retiring from his first-round match in Melbourne Park in January when I was giving in to Alexei Popyrin by 6-7 (5) 6-2 6-1.
“Despite great progress in recent months, I am still unable to compete, according to the medical team,” wrote Tsonga, a 2008 Melbourne finalist, in a social media post.
“I really want to go back to a tennis court, but I have to be patient … Even not going to Australia this year breaks my heart,” he added.
The first Grand Slam of 2021 has been delayed for three weeks due to strict Australian border regulations to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. It will begin on February 8.
Six-time champion Federer announced his absence earlier this week as he continues to work to get back in shape after two knee surgeries this year.
