Taylor Fritz suffers torn meniscus in second round Roland Garros match, hopes to be ready for Wimbledon

It was an unfortunate day for Taylor Fritz on Thursday at Roland Garros, as the American not only lost his second round match against Dominik Koepfer but proceeded to suffer a devastating injury on the last point of the match.

The 30th seed suffered the injury after hitting a forehand, and was in such bad shape that he was unable to walk to the net to shake hands. Furthermore, he had to be helped off the court in a wheelchair, leaving many fans at the French Open concerned about his health.

However, Fritz released a statement on social media on Friday, revealing that he had torn his meniscus. Not only would he require surgery, but his hopes of competing at Wimbledon are in doubt. The All England Club hosts the third Grand Slam of the season at the end of June.

“I had really high hopes for @rolandgarros this year, so it’s tough to go out in the 2nd round … even tougher to have to leave the court in a wheelchair,” Fritz wrote on Instagram.

“Thank you to everyone for all the kind words and sympathy I’ve received since coming off the court, sorry to worry you all. On match point when I came down from hitting a forehand, I heard a pop in my knee.

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“When re-watching the videos, everything about my movements looked completely normal but after that pop I couldn’t move and could barely limp myself to the net to shake hands. After sitting down, I wasn’t able to stand up to leave the court. I definitely didn’t want to make a scene by getting wheeled off the court but there wasn’t much else I could do.

“I got it scanned and reviewed, and the bad news is that I tore my meniscus and need surgery. The good news is that the surgery is very quick and easy, and I can make a full recovery quickly if all goes well.

“I’m hoping to be fully ready to go for @wimbledon. Based off of how bad I initially felt, I’m glad that I will most likely only miss 3 weeks on tour and be back to 100 per cent for the US hardcourt swing.”

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