Last year, Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah announced herself on the WTA stage by capturing the Sao Paulo title. The 20-year-old battled past Janice Tjen in a hard-fought contest, further fueling hopes that France may have found its next homegrown star. However, that remarkable momentum has now come to a painful halt, as an injury suffered after Wimbledon has brought her run to an unfortunate end.

“A chapter closes, and a new one begins,” Sarah shared on her Instagram handle. “Surgery is done. Now it’s time for recovery, patience, and hard work. I’ll be away from the court for a few months, but my goal remains the same: to come back stronger. Thank you all for your love and support. See you soon,” she later added.

The 20-year-old posted the message alongside an image from the hospital. In the picture, her knee appeared heavily bandaged, showing the immediate aftermath of the surgery.

The nature of the surgery was not disclosed; however, for now, she is expected to spend the next few months recovering before returning to the WTA tour.

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In the wake of an injury, the world No. 165 has not played since SW19. Her campaign there ended in the second round of qualifying to Zhu Lin, bringing her grass-court season to an early finish.

Before the injury, though, the French No. 3’s run at the WTA 250 event in Brazil was nothing short of heroic.

Reflecting on that breakthrough, Rakotomanga said she never looked too far ahead. “I played match by match, point by point. I could have lost in the first round. So, yes, I’m very happy and grateful for what I did and what happened here. I know a champion like me is unusual, but I fought for every point and every match, so I think I deserve it,” she added after winning her first hard-court title.

Her absence from the tour adds to the growing list of French players who have been forced out of the WTA this year, making an already difficult season even tougher for French tennis.

Varvara Gracheva ruled out of the tour following an ACL injury

Along with Sarah Rakotomanga, Varvara Gracheva has also been forced off the tour because of injury. Back in March, the 25-year-old suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during a training session. The serious setback means the former world No. 39 will remain away from competitive tennis for a long period.

“I’m sorry to announce that I tore my anterior cruciate ligament last week during training. The recovery is set to be a long one, but I’m determined to come back stronger than before as soon as my body is ready. I’m eager to return to the courts as soon as possible, but in the meantime, stay tuned to discover the new hobbies I’ll pick up during my recovery,” she stated on her IG.

Before the injury, the French WTA ace had a mixed start to the season. She reached the second round of the Australian Open and later advanced to the R16 at the WTA 1000 event in Doha.

Yet, the Russian-born player’s results dipped after that. She exited in the second round in Dubai Masters before suffering first-round defeats at the Sunshine Double.

Now, with another French WTA player ruled out, French tennis appears to be facing an injury crisis, as more players continue to take a recovery break this season.