Former India No. 1 Yuki Bhambri undergoes medical procedure on injured knee

Indian tennis player Yuki Bhambri has undergone a medical procedure on his knee which will sideline him for some time. The former World No. 1 posted an update on social media where he is seen standing with the help of crutches.

Injuries have derailed Bhambri's career and he has played only two events since the end of the 2018 season.

"I decided to get crutches for my birthday this year," Bhambri posted on social media. "As I was still struggling with pain in my knee I decided to get a medical procedure which should hopefully get me back on the court again pain free pretty soon. Thank you for your support and messages. Always appreciated."

After climbing to a career-high ranking of No. 83 in April 2018, Bhambri missed the entire 2019 and 2020 seasons due to a knee injury. He returned to action this year, going 2-2 at ATP tour events in Singapore and Dubai (including qualifying). As a result, his singles ranking has dropped to No. 1025.

Yuki Bhambri has a history of injury problems

Yuki Bhambri during his first-round match against Tomas Berdych at the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park

Yuki Bhambri is a former junior World No. 1. In 2009, he created history by becoming the first Indian to win a junior Australian Open title. That win also made him only the fourth player from his country to lift a junior Grand Slam singles trophy (Ramanathan Krishnan, Ramesh Krishnan, and Leander Paes being the others).

However, a series of injuries have stalled his progress on the professional circuit. After breaking into the top 100 for the first time in 2015, Bhambri was forced to sit on the sidelines for a good part of the 2016 season due to an elbow injury, which saw him drop out of the top 500.

Bhambri had been working with Dr. Angel Ruiz-Cotorro in Spain in an attempt to solve his knee problems. Ruiz-Cotorro is well known in tennis circles for having treated 20-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal for his knee troubles in the past.