Injuries Haunt Stan Wawrinka and Milos Raonic as They Announce Unfortunate News Ahead of Indian Wells 2021

2021 has seen a lot of talented youngsters making their mark on the ATP tour at several tournaments. However, there are a few players who are being missed by scores of tennis fans across the globe. One such top player is Stan Wawrinka.

The former World No.3 was last seen on tour during the ATP Qatar Open and has been missing from action since. The Swiss athlete faced a foot injury and even underwent surgery for the same. But, the recovery is taking time as he couldn’t confidently talk about his comeback event yet.

Stan Wawrinka decides to skip Indian Wells Masters, which begin next week

Since Doha, there has been no sight of Wawrinka except for a few updates on his social media profile concerning the recovery. The 2016 US open champion was expected to return for the final slam of the year, however, he had to disappoint fans by pulling out of the tournament.

The US Open is one of Wawrinka’s favorite events. Besides winning the title in 2016, the Swiss star has made six quarter-final appearances in the nine times he played in New York. It was one tournament where he displays dominance over top-tier players besides Roland Garros.

Now, the Swiss player has pulled out from the upcoming Indian Wells event as well. From this decision, it’s quite evident that fans might not see Wawrinka for the rest of the year.

There are still quite a few good tournaments left to be played on the ATP tour after Indian Wells. But, the Swiss star might not want to put pressure on himself to participate and focus on making a fresh start next year.

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Leg injury halts Milos Raonic’s return to the ATP tour

Another player who has been grappling with injuries is Milos Raonic. The Canadian was last seen on a tennis court at the Atlanta Open in July. He had to skip Wimbledon and the US Open due to calf and right leg injuries, respectively.

The former Wimbledon finalist made it to the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier this year, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. Raonic also made it to the pre-quarters at Miami Masters.

Unfortunately, these were the best results for the Canadian before injuries plagued his season.

Both Wawrinka and Raonic are yet to make an official statement regarding their comeback tournament. However, it’s safe to assume that they would prefer playing on tour next year and assess their fitness till then.

Also read: Stan Wawrinka’s Coach Raises Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal Concerns for Novak Djokovic