Melbourne VIC, Australia, 15 October 2015 | tennis.com.au

Sam Groth has made the decision to have surgery on his right foot, ending a career-best season.

The big-serving Aussie has been dealing with a nerve issue in his foot for several months.

“I’ve had it since before Wimbledon and I’ve just been managing it,” he revealed to the Herald Sun.

“It was a nerve issue. It wasn’t getting any better so I had to go in and get it burnt out.”

The decision means Groth will sit out the remainder of the ATP season, which still has a month left to play out.

His last match – at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo – ended in a second-set retirement against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.

Groth peaked at a career-high ranking of No.53 in August after an impressive season during which he reached the third round at the Australian Open and Wimbledon and three ATP quarterfinals.

He also won his first live Davis Cup rubber for Australia, defeating Mikhail Kukushkin as part of Australia’s thrilling 3-2 quarterfinal victory over Kazakhstan in Darwin in July.

The Australian is expected to return to competition in January 2016.

> Read the full Herald Sun article