Simona Halep won’t get a chance to defend her 2019 Wimbledon title.
The World No.3 Halep, who has not played since mid-May after suffering a calf tear, announced her withdrawal Friday before the draw was unveiled.
“It is with great sadness that I’m announcing my withdrawal from The Championships as my calf injury has not fully recovered,” Halep wrote.
“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. Unfortunately, my body didn’t cooperate and I’ll have to save that feeling for next year.”
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Halep last competed at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, where she pulled out of her match against Angelique Kerber in the second set with the injury, a setback that also cost her a chance to play Roland Garros.
Because of the global pandemic, the Wimbledon Championships were postponed a year ago.
With the withdrawals of Naomi Osaka and Halep, Aryna Sabalenka moves up to the No.2 seed behind Ashleigh Barty.
“I can honestly say that I'm really down and upset about having to take this decision,” Halep said. “This period has been difficult but to miss the last two Majors has made it even more challenging mentally and physically. We will see what the future holds but I'm hoping it will make me a stronger person and athlete.”
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In 2019, Halep played a near-flawless final against Serena Williams, where she became the first Romanian woman to win Wimbledon. This came a year after she won Roland Garros, her first major title.
Wimbledon begins Monday, June 28.
