"I just wasn't happy with my knee. So I didn't feel it was obviously right to carry on."
Thursday 30 May 2019 15:43, UK
Kyle Edmund has promised to do "everything" he can to be fit for Wimbledon after exiting the French Open due to an ongoing knee injury.
Edmund was forced out of this year's tournament at Roland Garros after retiring during his second-round match with Pablo Cuevas due to a recurrence of his left knee problem.
It was a curiously passive performance from Edmund as he lost the opening two sets and, after going 2-1 down in the third, the British No 1 called the doctor. It was not immediately obvious what was wrong but, after a lengthy chat, Edmund shook his head and then the hand of the Uruguayan.
The 24-year-old first suffered the problem at the end of last season and pulled out of his final event, the Paris Masters.
Edmund began his season as scheduled in Brisbane but suffered a surprise loss to Yasutaka Uchiyama and then withdrew from the Sydney International.
Although he took to the court at the Australian Open, he did not look fully fit and was well beaten by Tomas Berdych before taking a six-week break from the tour to try to recover from the problem.
I'll try and do everything I can [to be fit for Wimbledon]. But it's not like this is what you've got to do, this is how you're going to get fixed, or this is the time.
But the issue doesn't appear to have dissipated and speaking in his post-match press conference, Edmund said: "I just wasn't happy with my knee. So I didn't feel it was obviously right to carry on.
"I've been dealing with it for quite a while. So it's not anything new. It's just been having to manage it."
Asked whether he could be a doubt for Wimbledon, Edmund said: "Obviously I hope not.
"I'll try and do everything I can. But it's not like this is what you've got to do, this is how you're going to get fixed, or this is the time."
Edmund said surgery would be "the last resort", adding: "I don't think it's a big thing long term. But, when you're playing professional tennis and the speed and the physicality that you play, if something is bugging you a little bit, it makes a little bit of a difference to your performance."
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