Simona Halep has withdrawn from Wimbledon, where she would have been the defending champion, after falling short in her bid to recover from the calf injury that derailed her clay-court season.
Halep, the world No 3, tore her left calf muscle in Rome last month and was subsequently forced to pull out of the French Open. The Romanian had hoped to recover in time for Wimbledon, where she won the title two years ago with an immaculate performance against Serena Williams, but was forced to throw in the towel just minutes before the draw was made.
“It is with great sadness that I’m announcing my withdrawal from the championships as my calf injury has not fully recovered,” Halep told the tournament website.
“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 honoured to step back on these beautiful courts as defending champion.
“Unfortunately, my body didn’t cooperate and I’ll have to save that feeling for next year.
“I can honestly say that I’m really down and upset about having to take this decision. This period has been difficult, but to miss the last two majors has made it even more challenging mentally and physically.”
Halep’s absence, which follows the earlier withdrawal of world No 2 Naomi Osaka, means Aryna Sabalenka is promoted to second seed. The Belarusian has been one of the most consistent players on the women’s tour this year, although she is yet to progress beyond the fourth round of any slam and has previously won only one match at Wimbledon.
Injury doubts have also surrounded Ashleigh Barty, the top seed, but the Australian has apparently made progress in her efforts to recover from the hip injury that forced her to retire against Poland’s Magda Linette at the French Open. Barty will need to hit the ground running in what promises to be an emotional opener against Carla Suárez Navarro, the former world No 6. The Spaniard is playing in her final Wimbledon after a successful battle against cancer.
In a tough quarter, Barty could meet Britain’s Johanna Konta, the champion in Nottingham a fortnight ago, before a fourth-round clash with Barbora Krejcikova, the French Open champion. The Australian is scheduled to play Bianca Andreescu in the quarter-finals, although the fifth seed will first need to negotiate a tough opening round against Alizé Cornet of France, who beat her in Berlin last week.
Serena Williams begins her latest attempt to win the 24th major that would bring her level with Margaret Court on the all-time hours board against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus. Williams, the sixth seed, could face a third round meeting with Angelique Kerber, who beat her in the final three years ago, ahead of a projected quarter-final against third seed Elina Svitolina.
In the lower half of the draw, former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will play Sloane Stephens, winner of the US Open four years ago, in what will perhaps be the most eagerly anticipated match of the opening round. With projected quarter-finalists Sofia Kenin and Karolina Pliskova both struggling for form, the winner will have high hopes of making a deep run. An unknown quantity, however, is Liudmila Samsonova, a surprise winner in Berlin last week. The Russian, whose victory earned her a wildcard, will play Kaia Kanepi of Estonia in round one.
Sabalenka is seeded to face Iga Swiatek, the former French Open champion, in the last eight. It remains to be seen whether either woman will make the appointment.
Sabalenka plays the Romanian qualifier Monica Niculescu, a former top-30 player who reached the fourth round six years ago, in round one. She is projected to face either 18th seed Elena Rybakina, the straight-sets conqueror of Serena Williams at the French Open, or Maria Sakkari, a semi-finalist in Paris, in the last 16.
Swiatek, meanwhile, who won junior Wimbledon three years ago but says she has “a love-hate relationship with grass”, faces a major test against the wily Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan in the opening round. Should she come through, the Pole, who recorded her first senior win on grass at Eastbourne this week against Britain’s Heather Watson, is likely to meet Vera Zvonareva, a former finalist, in round two.
In another intriguing match in the bottom quarter, five-time champion Venus Williams will take on Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania. The talented Buzarnescu, ranked 148th, extended Serena to three sets in the second round of the French Open.