Once again, Lucas Pouille is caught up by his body. The 30-year-old Frenchman, who came from qualifying at Wimbledon, withdrew from the tournament on Saturday morning, moments before the start of his third-round match against Alex De Minaur. Pouille, a former top-ten player, is sidelined by an abdominal injury, preventing him from challenging the 9th-ranked player in the ATP. This marks a significant moment as Pouille had not reached such a high stage in a Grand Slam since the 2019 Australian Open.
Pouille's journey through Wimbledon has been a testament to his resilience. He overcame Laslo Djere in a grueling five-set match spread over two days in the first round. In the second round, he advanced due to the retirement of Thanasi Kokkinakis, who was leading before injuring his knee. Despite his own struggles, including a moment where he almost considered withdrawing due to a sharp pain in his abs, Pouille pushed through. 'I felt a stitch in my abs on a serve. My whole team was telling me: ‘Get out, stop’ at 6-2. I said to myself: ‘If you get broken, you stop’. Because I was afraid of making things worse,' Pouille shared with L’Équipe.
Currently ranked 212th in the world, Pouille has been battling injuries for years. His right elbow issues had plummeted his ranking to 675th at the start of 2023. Despite these setbacks, Pouille remains determined to break back into the top 100 by the end of the season, with a long-term goal of competing in the main draw of the Australian Open in 2025.
With Pouille's withdrawal, Alex De Minaur advanced to the next round without playing. De Minaur could potentially face another Frenchman, Arthur Fils, if Fils manages to overcome Roman Safiullin in their upcoming match.
