Sam Groth’s presence in the upcoming French Open has been placed in doubt as he undergoes treatment on a blocked nerve in his neck.
The 28-year-old Australian has struggled on the tour this year and has only been able to win four matches. Since January, Groth has fallen over 30 places in the ATP rankings to 95th in the world. The lull in his form has now been dealt a further setback following an issue with his neck.
“(I’ve) had a few issues with a nerve block in my neck and causing some issues into my arm,” Groth told Fox Sports Australia.
“It wasn’t right, so it is better to get to Paris and try to get it checked out and fixed. Hopefully will be all right.”
Groth will now have to wait and see how successful the treatment is before he decides to play or withdraw from the tournament. At the 2015 French Open he made his debut in the tournament, losing in the first round to Pablo Cuevas.
It is not the first time that Groth has been troubled by injury. He was forced to end his 2015 season early due to a foot injury after what was a successful year for the Australian. In August, Groth achieved a ranking high of 53rd in the world. He also won two Challenger titles in 2015.
A withdrawal from the French Open could lead to Groth falling outside the top-100 for the first time since August 2014.
