Simona Halep is among four players to be awarded wildcards for the Madrid Open which will get underway later this month.
The former world No.1 returned to competitive tennis at the Miami Open in what was her first tournament since winning an appeal to overturn her doping ban. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that the Romanian unintentionally congested a contaminated substance and dismissed charges related to her biological passport. In Miami, she lost in the first round to Paula Badosa in three sets.
Halep was then scheduled to take part in a Billie Jean King Cup tie but has withdrawn due to some ‘physical issues,’ according to a press release published by the Romanian Tennis Federation (FRT). It is unclear if she will play another event before Madrid, which she has won twice before in 2016 and 2017.
Also, receiving a pass into Spain’s most prestigious tennis event is Caroline Wozniacki who is ranked 126th in the world. The 33-year-old has played in Madrid on 10 previous occasions with her best run being to the quarter-finals in 2015. Wozniacki is currently playing in Charleston which is her sixth tournament of the season.
In the men’s draw, Kei Nishikori will continue his comeback from injury. The Japanese player reached the final in Madrid a decade ago but ended up retiring during the third set of his clash against Rafael Nadal due to a back issue.
Finally, former US Open boy’s champion Martin Landaluce has been given a pass into his home event.
This year’s Madrid Open will take place from 22 April to 5 May. Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka are the defending champions.
