Martina Hingis has been ruled out of Wimbledon after it was revealed she will be sidelined for at least six weeks following ankle surgery.
The former world number one and 1997 Wimbledon champion underwent the operation on a torn ligament in Switzerland yesterday.
Hingis, 21, has already been ruled out of next week's French Open and, with Wimbledon less than five weeks away, she looks set to miss a second grand slam.
Dr Heinz Buehlmann, who carried out the surgery, will wait for the swelling on the joint to go down before making a more definitive assessment.
However, he said: "She will need at least six to eight weeks of rest to help the healing process.
"The operation went well and I am very pleased. But if the inflammation persists, the prognosis will not be good."
There had been fears that the injury could end her career, but Buehlmann was confident that would not be the case. -PA