WEB DESK
2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep today announced that she was pulling out of the grass-court Grand Slam due to the same torn left calf that kept her from participating at the French Open.
“I gave it everything I had in order to be ready to play Wimbledon and after having such special memories from 2 years ago, I was excited and honored to step back on these beautiful courts as defending champion,” Halep wrote in a posting on social media. “Unfortunately, my body didn’t cooperate and I’ll have to save that feeling for next year.”
The 29-year-old from Romania is a two-time major champion and former No. 1-ranked player who is currently No. 3.
Her withdrawal means two of the top three women in the WTA rankings will be missing from one of the sport’s most prestigious events when main-draw action begins Monday: No. 2 Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam title winner, is sitting out Wimbledon while “taking some personal time with friends and family,” her agent, Stuart Duguid, said in an email last week.