This year’s French Open will be without two familiar names on the tour after they announced their withdrawal from the tournament due to health issues.
Olympic champion Monica Puig has confirmed that she will not play another event for at least a month after hurting her hip. She was playing in the qualifying rounds of the Italian Open earlier this week, but retired from her match against Croatia’s Donna Vekic. A subsequent medical investigation has found that the 24-year-old has suffered a hip strain and has been advised to rest.
“This past Sunday during my match in Rome, I unfortunately strained my right hip muscle which after taking an MRI, revealed that I will need a few weeks of rest, recovery and treatment,” Puig said in a statement tweeted by WTA Insider.
“It will sadly mean that I am going to miss the Strasbourg tournament next week, an event so close to my heart as it was the first ever WTA tournament I won, as well as the French Open in Paris.
Puig is currently ranked 63rd in the world. Her best result on the tour this year so far was reaching the quarter-finals of the Monterey Open. At the Miami Open she progressed to the last 16 of the tournament before losing to Danielle Collins. The Puerto Rican is hoping to return to action in June.
“The good news is that I am as of now scheduled to be back on the court in Nottingham on the grass, which I am really looking forward to as the grass season is one of my favourite parts of the year.” She explained.
Joining Puig on the sidelines will be Agnieszka Radwanska. The former world No.2 has fallen down the rankings as she copes with a back injury. So far this year, she has only been able to win nine matches on the tour, but six of those occurred back in January.
Radwanska’s absence has been confirmed by her husband and assistant coach Dawid Celt. He has said that the injury has improved in recent weeks, but Radwanska ‘doesn’t want to risk’ anything by playing in Paris. Setting her up for a comeback at the Mallorca Open.
“I can say for 100 percent sure that Agnieszka will not play in Paris,” Celt told sport.pl.
The withdrawal ends Radwanska’s run of 47 consecutive appearances in the main draw of grand slam tournaments. Which dates back to her major debut at the 2006 Wimbledon Championships.
The French Open will get underway on May 27th.
