Reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys has withdrawn from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with a lingering leg injury, tournament organizers announced Thursday.
Keys, who captured her first Grand Slam title last month in Melbourne, has not played since her title run Down Under. Her withdrawal moves New Zealand’s Lulu Sun into the main draw.
The 29-year-old American climbed to No. 7 in the PIF WTA Rankings following her Australian Open victory and holds a 14-1 record this season with two titles.
Keys has made just two previous appearances in Dubai, with her best result coming in 2023 when she reached the quarterfinals.
In other injury-related news Thursday, Karolina Muchova (leg) and Marie Bouzkova (foot) withdrew from the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, which begins Monday in Doha.
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships begin Feb. 16, with World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Iga Swiatek and defending champion Jasmine Paolini headlining the field.
