Ons Jabeur announced on Monday that she cannot defend her Madrid Open title due to a calf injury. The injury happened during the semifinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart on Saturday, specifically during the final point of the first game, leading her to retire against Iga Swiatek after only three games. Having recently recovered from surgery, the Tunisian star had been on a strong seven-match winning streak. Consequently, she will miss her second-round clash in Madrid, where she was set to face either Ana Bogdan from Romania or Anna Bondar from Hungary.
Defending champion Ons Jabeur admitted on Monday that she had withdrawn from defending her Madrid Open title with a calf injury. Earlier on Saturday, world no.4 Jabeur retired after playing three games against Iga Swiatek at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. The Tunisian player was injured during the last point of the first game in the semifinal. The two-time Grand Slam runner-up, who was on a run of seven-match winning streak after recovering from surgery earlier this year, was to face Hungary’s Anna Bondar or Romanian Ana Bogdan in the second round of the clay tournament in Madrid.
The 28-year-old top seed learned on Monday that a calf tear would prevent her from defending her title in Madrid. In an Instagram post, Jabeur shared that following several medical evaluations, she was diagnosed with a small tear that necessitates a period of rest. She expressed her disappointment at missing the tournament but extended her best wishes to the organizers and players, noting that she looks forward to returning next year.
This injury is a significant setback for Jabeur as she prepares for the 2023 French Open. Her season has been erratic; after an early second-round exit at the Australian Open and missing the Middle East tournaments due to health issues, she only returned for the Sunshine Double. Despite early losses in Miami and Indian Wells, she managed a strong comeback at the Charleston Open, where she secured her first title of the year by beating Belinda Bencic in the final.
Jabeur had been riding a wave of momentum, reaching the Stuttgart Open semifinals after impressive victories over Beatriz Haddad Maia and the formidable Jelena Ostapenko. Now, the focus shifts to whether she will recover in time for the Italian Open starting May 8, which serves as the critical final tune-up before the French Open begins on May 28.
In other news, Karolina Pliskova, a former world no. 1, has also withdrawn from the Madrid Open because of a knee problem. The 31-year-old Czech athlete is hopeful that she will be healthy enough for the Italian Open and the subsequent Roland-Garros tournament.