Simona Halep, the 2018 French Open champion, will miss the Grand Slam tennis tournament in Paris that starts May 30 due to a left calf tear suffered in a tournament in Rome last week.
“It’s with a heavy heart that I announce my withdrawal from @rolandgarros this year,” was posted on Halep’s social media. “Unfortunately the tear in my left calf needs more time to recover and the timeline is just too short. Withdrawing from a Grand Slam goes against all my instincts and aspirations as an athlete, but is is the right and only decision to make. The thought of not being in Paris fills me with sadness, but I will focus my energy on recovery, staying positive and getting back on court as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Halep, 29 and the world’s third-ranked player, suffered the injury during a second-round match with German Angelique Kerber at the Italian Open last week, withdrawing from the primary French Open tune-up event.
Halep is the reigning Wimbledon champion from 2019, but the French Open is her most successful Slam. She was also runner-up in 2014 and 2017. Last year, Halep lost in the fourth round to eventual champion Iga Swiatek of Poland.
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