Ons Jabeur: Defending champion withdraws from Madrid Open as a result of calf damage

Defending champion Ons Jabeur has withdrawn from this week’s Madrid Open as a result of a calf damage.

The Tunisian retired three video games into Saturday’s Porsche Tennis Open semi-final towards Iga Swiatek in Stuttgart.

Jabeur, 28, mentioned on Instagram: “Additional to many medical exams accomplished, it exhibits that I’ve a small tear in my calf and I’ll want extra time to get better.

“I am unhappy to announce that I will not be capable to compete and defend my title this yr on the Madrid Open. I wish to want everybody and the event an excellent occasion.”

Jabeur – who beat Jessica Pegula 7-5 0-6 6-2 within the 2022 Madrid Open last to grow to be the primary African to win a WTA 1000 occasion – was as a result of play both Romania’s Ana Bogdan or Hungary’s Anna Bondar within the second spherical at this yr’s occasion.

Nice Britain’s Emma Raducanu shall be in motion on the Madrid Open, the place she shall be seeking to bounce again from a straight-sets defeat to Jelena Ostapenko within the final 32 of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.

Former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova introduced her withdrawal from the Madrid Open on Monday as a result of a knee damage, with the Czech hopeful that she is going to get better in time for the Italian Open in Rome from Might 9-20.

Pliskoka suffered her damage throughout a quarter-final defeat to world No 1 Swiatek in Stuttgart.