GENEVA: Stan Wawrinka's comeback trail hit a stumbling block on Friday after he pulled out of next week's Geneva Open tennis tournament with an injury.
The Swiss three-time Grand Slam champion secured his first win in 15 months on Monday in Rome, having missed most of 2021 with a foot injury that required two surgeries.
However, following his defeat to top seed Novak Djokovic in the Italian Open quarter-finals on Thursday, he told Geneva organisers that he would not be able to take part.
The 37-year-old, who has seen his world ranking drop to 361, had been given a wildcard to play before home fans on the Geneva clay, the week before the French Open.
"It's a disappointment because obviously we are in Switzerland, he won the tournament twice, he was the ambassador of the tournament for the first three years after it returned to Geneva," tournament director Thierry Grin told AFP.
"Unfortunately he is injured. It happens."
The 28-man event will see world number two Daniil Medvedev return to action following hernia surgery last month.
Last year's winner Casper Ruud, runner-up Denis Shapovalov and Reilly Opelka are the other top 20 players taking part.