Simona Halep will have to wait for a little bit longer to start her clay season as the two-time Grand Slam champion is forced to skip the Madrid Open.
Halep, who played her first tournament in a year and a half at the Miami Open in March, was scheduled to kick off her clay season at this past week’s WTA 125 tournament in Oeiras. But just days before the start of the tournament, it was announced that Halep was withdrawing from the tournament after experiencing some knee pain and discomfort during a practice session.
After Halep withdrew from Oeiras, Halep was slated to play her first clay tournament of the year in Madrid, for which she was awarded a wildcard. But unfortunately, the former world No. 1 won’t be playing in Madrid either.
“Unfortunately my body needs a little more time to be ready and I have made the tough decision not to play in Madrid. Tough because I want to be back on tour asap (as soon as possible), but experience tells me not to rush. Thank you to @MutuaMadridOpen who offered me the wild card and to my fans,” Halep announced on X.
Unfortunately my body needs a little more time to be ready and I have made the tough decision not to play in Madrid. Tough because I want to be back on…
