Former world No.8 Jurgen Melzer has confirmed that he will undergo surgery on his left shoulder, which will sideline him from action for 9 months.
The 34-year-old hasn’t played on the tour since the US Open after undergoing treatment on his shoulder. Unfortunately the treatment was not successful, prompting Melzer to undergo a procedure to correct his torn labrum arthroscopically. The operation will be conducted by Dr. Ulrich Lanz, who has worked with the Austrian Davis Cup team this year. Speaking about the recovery time, Melzer revelled that it will be a lengthy process in a Facebook post.
“After four or five months I will be able to play with the softball and after six months with the tennis ball. That is to say nine months before I can play a tournament”. Melzer wrote.
This means that the Austrian won’t just miss the first half of the season, he will also miss the Olympic Games in August. Melzer has played in three Olympic Games during his career in 2004, 2008 and 2012. His best Olympic performance was in 2008 when he reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champion Rafael Nadal.
It is not the first time that Melzer has been sidelined from the tour due to his shoulder. Between 2013-2014, he missed almost six months of action after a torn tendon in his shoulder. Speaking about his latest shoulder trouble, Melzer still hopes to return back to the tour.
“If everything healed well, I’d like to come back again“. The 34-year-old said.
The Austrian has won 5 ATP titles during his career and achieved a career high ranking of 8th back in 2011. Currently he is ranked 155th in the world and hasn’t reached an ATP final since Winston-Salem back in 2013.
