Karen Khachanov will be absent from Wimbledon for a second year after suffering a stress fracture at the French Open

Karen Khachanov has withdrawn from Wimbledon after suffering a stress fracture at the French Open.

The world No. 11 expects to be out of action until August.

Khachanov will miss the Grand Slam at the All England Club for a second successive year, after Russian and Belarusian players were banned from competing in the tournament last time out because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Despite the bad news, Khachanov says he is buoyed by the fact he will be able to witness the birth of his second son, who is expected to arrive soon.

Sharing his news on social media, Khachanov said: “Hello, everyone. This is not an easy statement for me to write, but I must inform you of my withdrawal from the upcoming Championships at Wimbledon.”

“Due to an unfortunate injury I picked up at the French Open (stress fracture and a partial fracture in sacrum S1 bone), I will not be able to participate at Wimbledon for the second year in a row. The decision to withdraw was not easy, and I was hoping until the end during these few weeks that I would be able to recover.”

“However, my medical team assured me that, in my case, it was not possible. As difficult as this is, I will focus on my recovery, working diligently to get healthy and come back to tournaments in August”, he said.

“Meanwhile, I am happy that I have my family by my side and grateful that I can be present for the birth of my second son, whom we expect very soon.”

“I remain committed and will use this setback as motivation to return and hopefully keep achieving as I wish. Thank you for your understanding and continued support; it means a lot to me. Big hugs!”

Khachanov has enjoyed a productive season in majors up to this point, having reached the Australian Open semi-final, where he was beaten by Stefanos Tsitsipas.