Wednesday 27 February 2019 23:05, UK
Maria Sharapova has undergone a "small procedure" on her right shoulder that will need a few weeks to heal, requiring her to pull out of next month's Miami Open.
Sharapova has struggled since last summer with shoulder pain caused by a fraying tendon and small labrum tear. She tried unsuccessfully to solve the problem with exercise.
"As many of you know, I have struggled with shoulder pain since last summer," Sharapova said.
"For 10 weeks post US Open, I focused on getting my rotator cuff and scapula strong to support a surgically repaired fraying tendon and a small labrum tear.
"Although my shoulder got strong, it didn't help the pain on impact. After a few different opinions in a few different countries, last week I had a small procedure done which will take a few weeks to heal.
"Although this has been a very long process, I am incredibly committed to getting back strong and more importantly without the pain I was playing with at the beginning of the year."
The five-time Grand Slam champion hasn't played since pulling out of the St Petersburg Ladies' Trophy in late January after winning her first-round match.
Currently 29th in the WTA rankings, she reached the last 16 of the Australian Open earlier this year, but has not won a tournament since the Tianjin Open in October 2017. The Miami Open is due to start on March 18.
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