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Simona Halep, the reigning women’s singles champion, pulled out of this year’s Wimbledon on Friday owing to an injured left calf.The 29-year-old had earlier withdrawn from the French Open after injuring herself during a match at the Italian Open in May.
“It is with great sadness that I’m announcing my withdrawal from The Championships as my calf injury has not fully recovered,” Halep, who had beaten Serena Williams 6-2, 6-2 in the 2019 Wimbledon final, said on Instagram.“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 added.“We will see what the future holds but I’m hoping it will make me a stronger person and athlete. Thank you to everyone at Wimbledon for your understanding and support.”
The Wimbledon is set to start from Monday.
