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Fabio Fognini became the latest player to announce his withdrawal from the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters, citing a foot injury.
Fognini was granted a wildcard at the Monte-Carlo Masters as one of the former champions of the tournament. The Italian won the 2019 title in Monte Carlo, defeating Dusan Lajovic in the summit clash.
Amidst the recent drop in form, Fognini was hopeful of turning things around at a venue where he has had immense success in the past. However, such hopes were shattered after the Italian declared his withdrawal from Monte-Carlo, having failed to recover from the foot injury that he picked up at the Estoril Open.
Taking to social media, Fognini stated that he was "devastated" by his withdrawal, reflecting on how much he loved playing in Monte Carlo.
"I am sad to announce that I won’t be able to play the upcoming Monte Carlo tournament. Unfortunately the foot injury I sustained in Estoril is still under review and the pain won’t allow me to play. I’m devastated. You all know how much I love Monte Carlo. I want to publicly thank the organizers for the wild card. I hope to be back on court again soon," he wrote on his Instagram post.
Fognini, a former World No. 9, is not the only high-profile name to withdraw from Monte Carlo. Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and most recently Denis Shapovalov have pulled out, leaving the highly anticipated Masters tournament plodding.
Meanwhile, Fognini has struggled for form this season with the player himself recently revealing that he is currently at the worst period of his career.
"I need matches and wins. My ranking went s**t. I'm in the worst moment of my career. At 36yo, I feel that I still have the level to improve my ranking. In a good day, I can beat everybody," Fognini said, as per journalist Jose Morgado.
Fabio Fognini yet to get past the second-round of a tournament in 2023
Fabio Fognini is yet to cross the second round of any tournament in 2023, losing in the opening round of six of his eight competitions so far. The Italian registered just two wins this season, while suffering defeats on eight occasions.
Fognini started the 2023 season at No. 55 in the ATP rankings, but has stumbled down to No. 97 after recent results. The 35-year-old was last seen in action at the Estoril Open, where he suffered a second-round loss to fellow-Italian Marco Cecchinato.
