"After medical examination and a long discussion with my team, I decided to have arthroscopic surgery on both ankles"
Monday 1 June 2020 10:32, UK
Italy's world No 11 Fabio Fognini has undergone surgery on both ankles to cure a long-standing problem.
The 33-year-old has said he had hoped the two-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic will have improved his situation.
No professional tournaments have been played since the start of March because of the pandemic, and the ATP Tour has been suspended until at least the start of August, giving Fognini enough time to recover.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Fognini said: "I've been having a problem with my left ankle for three-and-a-half years now. It's an issue I've learned to cope with. Then my right ankle started playing up in the past two years as well.
"I had hoped the various issues would go away during my two-month break from the game because of the lockdown, but when I resumed training, they were still there.
"After medical examination and a long discussion with my team, I decided to have arthroscopic surgery on both ankles. I believe it's the right thing to do while the Tour is on this enforced break. I will undergo surgery in Italy today. I can't wait to be back playing again!"
Fognini won his first ATP Masters 1000 title last April in Monte-Carlo before becoming the oldest first-time member of the Top 10 since 1973.
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