Romanian tennis star Simona Halep was hoping to defend her women's singles title at Wimbledon, but she will not partake in the grass-court major.
Halep announced via Instagram she would not be fit for Wimbledon after suffering a calf injury at a clay-court event in Rome, which also forced her out of the French Open:
“It is with great sadness that I'm announcing my withdrawal from The Championships as my calf injury has not fully recovered,” Halep said, via ESPN. “I gave it everything I had in order to be ready to play Wimbledon and after having such special memories from two years ago, I was excited and honored to step back on these beautiful courts as defending champion.”
The latter part of the statement might be a bit confusing. For those wondering how Halep can be the defending champion when her win at Wimbledon came two years ago, that's because The Championships were canceled last summer due to COVID-19.
Article Continues BelowThere will already be an abundance of star power missing at Wimbledon, the third major championship of the season.
Former Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal will not play as he tries to preserve his body and heal up from some physical setbacks. Meanwhile, Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka is also foregoing Wimbledon ash she continues to prioritize her own mental health.
With Osaka and now Halep both out, the women's draw could be quite interesting. Unseeded Barbora Krejcikova captured the French Open title in a pretty stunning run to the final. Will similar upsets be in store at Wimbledon?