Even though she has arrived in Wimbledon, defending champion Simona Halep is withdrawing from her second Grand Slam in a row because of a calf injury sustained at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in May.
The world No.3 Halep won Wimbledon in 2019 and since the 2020 edition of the tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was supposed to be defending her title this coming fortnight. The 29-year-old feels down and upset that her health is forcing her to make a heartbreaking decision to withdraw:
This period has been difficult but to miss the last two majors has made it even more challenging mentally and physically. We will see what the future holds but I’m hoping it will make me a stronger person and athlete.
The Romanian gave it everything she had to heal and be ready for Wimbledon, but her body didn’t cooperate and she needs more time to recover.
Halep is the second Top 5 player to be missing this year’s Wimbledon, as world No.2 Naomi Osaka is skipping the grass-court Grand Slam in order to work on her mental health.
