BEVERLY HILLS, May 21, (THEWILL) – Former world number one female tennis player, Simona Halep, has announced her withdrawal from the upcoming clay Grand Slam, the French Open, admitting that her attempt to recover from a calf injury in time to be fit enough to compete was unsuccessful.
Halep sustained the tear to her calf in her Italian Open match with Angelique Kerber and the 2018 winner of the Roland Garros clay competition has conceded that she cannot recover fast enough for the May 30 commencement of the second Grand Slam of the year.
The Romanian remains one of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour’s best performers on clay. In her absence, Roland Garros’ defending champion, the 19-year-old sensation that lit up last year’s French Open with her record-setting feat, Iga Swiatek, becomes the overwhelming favourite to win for a second time.
The world number three, Halep, took to her official social media account to announce her withdrawal. She posted: “It’s with a heavy heart that I announce my withdrawal from Roland Garros this year.
“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 it 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.”
The 29-year-old finished with a farewell greeting and a promise: “Roland Garros 2022, I’m coming for you! A bientot!”
Although Halep had looked to be in solid but unspectacular form as she prepared for the French Open, Swiatek has been the player stealing the highlights. The Polish teenager and world number nine took Karolina Pliskova to the cleaners in the final of the Italian Open by beating her 6-0, 6-0 to put herself on the radar of her rivals and re-establish her untouchable form on clay.
Another contender to watch in Halep’s absence is Australian world number one, Ashleigh Barty. For now, her participation in Roland Garros is uncertain as she is nursing an arm problem. If she makes it to France, she will not be a pushover.
Others who have shown precedence of dominance at Roland Garros, including Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams, are presently not as potent a threat as they used to be as each has struggled to find form in their clay court season but endured early defeats in recent events.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
