French hope Fils withdraws from Roland Garros with hip injury

The French Open is facing a blow before its start as local rising star Arthur Fils has been forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a hip issue. The 21-year-old, who was seen as one of France's promising hopes, expressed his regret but emphasized the need to avoid further injury.

Fils reported feeling hip pain during his participation in Rome, which persisted despite subsequent checks. The discomfort prevented him from training for the past two weeks, leading to his decision to pull out of his home Grand Slam. "I cannot compete at 100% and I don't want to take risks like last year," Fils stated, referencing a previous season affected by injury. Last year, Fils exited the French Open after the second round.

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In Rome, I felt some pain in my hip. It's bothering me, and I don't want to take any risks.

Fils had shown strong form leading up to the tournament, particularly on clay. After returning from a back injury that ended his previous season in August, he secured a title in Barcelona and reached the semifinals of the Madrid Masters. His performance indicated he could be a contender at Roland Garros.

Originally seeded 17th in the men's singles draw, Fils was scheduled to face the experienced 41-year-old Swiss player Stan Wawrinka in his opening match. With Fils's withdrawal, Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong has been promoted to the main draw as a "lucky loser" and will now take Fils's place in the match against Wawrinka.

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I cannot compete at 100% and I don't want to take risks like last year. I don't want to do anything foolish again.