“I arrived here a couple of days ago. As everybody knows I have been outside of the competition since the US Open. So I took time off, came back and it was great to be here in Paris for a couple of days and practice with the guys. I enjoyed it. I feel, in terms of tennis better than what I really thought one week ago".
“But in the last few days, I start to feel a little bit the abdominal, especially when I was serving. And I was checking with the doctor and the doctor says that is recommended to not play, because if I continue the abdominal maybe can break and can be a major thing, and I really don't want that".
“It has been a tough year for me since that moment in terms of injuries so I want to avoid drastic things. And if maybe I can play today, but the doctor says if I want to play the tournament, I want to try to win the tournament, the abdominal will break for sure. So will be not fair and not good for me and for nobody to go inside the court, knowing that probably the full tournament will not be possible to play".
“So that's it. Of course I am not happy, but of course I have to accept and stay positive.”
“I don't like to be injured. I don't like this bad news, of course. And I hate to be here and have to pull out from the event. Especially here in this city".
“But I tried until the last moment. I was checking with the doctor until one hour ago. I think I did all the things that have been in my hands to play here. I tried.”
Photos: Getty Images; AFP; IMAGO; Anadolu Agency