BEVERLY HILLS, March 27, (THEWILL) – Romanian professional tennis player and former world number one, Simona Halep, has withdrawn from the Miami Open currently being played in Florida.
She had struggled with a shoulder injury that affected her performance and it eventually forced her withdrawal as she failed to recover sufficiently enough to continue.
Halep received a bye in the first round due to her seeding and comfortably beat Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia in three sets for her opening fixture. But, the shoulder injury, which was troubling her training and practice in Florida ahead of the tournament did not improve as she believed it would.
In her statement explaining her withdrawal, the 29-year-old said: “I’m very sorry I have to pull out of singles and doubles at the Miami Open, but my injury doesn’t let me play here as I expected.
“I’m sad that I can’t continue, I wanted to come here to give my best and play many matches but unfortunately I can’t. Hopefully next year I will be back healthy and better.”
Coincidentally, the Latvian Anastasija Sevastova, who could have played Halep in the round of 32 will now progress to the last 16 with a bye. It also means Halep’s run in the doubles alongside German player, Angelique Kerber, will also be terminated.
It is quite unfortunate for the Romanian as the Miami Open was her first tournament since the Australian Open and was supposed to be a good tournament to get some playtime under her belt ahead of the clay court season.
As she recovers, she will train her focus on that now to be fit enough to participate without worries.
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.
