PARIS — After reaching his first Grand Slam semifinals at the Australian Open this year, Lucas Pouille will not be back in Melbourne next month.
Pouille announced on Twitter on Monday he will miss the first tennis major of 2020, plus the inaugural ATP Cup in Australia and the Adelaide tournament, all in January.
The Frenchman stopped playing on the tour in October because of a right elbow injury. The recovery has been slower than he expected.
“Since October 9, we have put everything in place to be ready for the start of the year,” Pouille tweeted. “We followed all the protocols given by the doctors but it was not enough. I am extremely disappointed and sad to miss the start of the year. My goal is to be 100% competitive as quickly as possible.”
Pouille, 25, has won five ATP titles but none this year. He lost at the Australian Open to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.