The grass courts of London did not prove to be quite lucky for Frances Tiafoe. Coming fresh off from a quarterfinal exit in the Stuttgart Open, the American tennis pro was determined to make his mark in the Queen Club Championships. Unfortunately, a nasty fall during the first round of his match hindered his goal for the event. As a result, questions about Tiafoe’s upcoming Wimbledon participation are inevitable. However, adding to it, former World No. 1 Andy Roddick’s recent comments further made it a point of concern!

The Tennis Channel Live Podcast is back with its latest episode, titled “The Countdown to Wimbledon and Who Has the Best Net Game?” The episode, which was released on June 19, featured Steve Weissman, Genie Bouchard, and Andy Roddick. While discussing the upcoming Wimbledon tournament, the topic naturally shifted to France Tiafoe’s hip sprain in London. The American Sportscaster, Weissman said, “We got Frances Tiafoe on the injury he suffered in London. Do either of you have experienced this kind of injury?”

Roddick added, “Happened on grass when I was a junior. Also, the timeline is short for this type of injury. Especially on grass, I hope we see Big Foe at Wimbledon but this is not nothing, Steve.” Known for its comparatively slippery surface, the fresh and moist grass has troubled many players when it comes to balancing on-court during a game. One of those tragic examples is that of Juan Martín del Potro. The former World No. 3 hurt his knee five years ago on the same surface of the Queen’s Club.  

Sadly, he struggled with his form ever since that fall, playing only a single match after that in 2022. It is also the same year he took his retirement. Therefore, when Big Foe fell on the ground while competing against Rinky Hijikata in the third set, it indeed instilled fear in every tennis fan’s heart. Falling on his hip, the 26-year-old player had to stop the match for immediate medical attention.

Hardwired to put all his efforts and win, the American player tried to get back on his form but ultimately failed and retired mid-match. Later, it was confirmed that he had wounded his right hip during the game. This has put his Wimbledon dreams in question. It remains to be seen whether he comes back to his form in Wimbledon or not. However, Tiafoe is not alone, as Holger Rune fell on-court multiple times too in London this season.

Apart from Frances Tiafoe, Holger Rune also became a victim of the slippery courts of London 

Holger Rune bowed out of London after his first-round defeat against Jordan Thompson (4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3). However, the No. 7 seed noticeably stumbled a lot of times on-court while battling against his opponent. The 21-year-old later admitted, “It was quite slippery, to be honest. I mean, I think I slipped maybe three times. One time quite important.”

Further adding, he said, “It helps for the movement when it’s played a little bit, but then when it’s played a lot on it gets slippery again. Then it gets kind of dirt behind the baseline.” The former Wimbledon semifinalist, John Isner, brought his attention to the matter and wrote on X “Queens is undoubtedly one of the best events of year, but the courts are diabolically slippery, especially on Monday and Tuesday..” As Wimbledon draws near, hopefully, the tennis world will see Frances Tiafoe coming back with his usual form once again!