Ons Jabeur: Defending champion withdraws from Madrid Open due to calf injury | Tennis News

Defending champion Ons Jabeur has withdrawn from this week’s Madrid Open attributable to a calf harm.

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 finished, it exhibits that I’ve a small tear in my calf and I’ll want extra time to get well.

“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 match an awesome occasion.”

Jabeur – who beat Jessica Pegula 7-5 0-6 6-2 within the 2022 Madrid Open closing to turn into the primary African to win a WTA 1000 occasion – was attributable to 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 will likely be in motion on the Madrid Open, the place she will likely be trying 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 attributable to a knee harm, with the Czech hopeful that she’s going to get well in time for the Italian Open in Rome from Might 9-20.

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