Defending Champion Ons Jabeur Forced To Withdraw From Madrid Open
WTA
Defending champion Ons Jabeur won’t be in Madrid to defend her trophy due to an injury she picked up in Stuttgart.
Jabeur played a fantastic event to finally win a big trophy last year. Her dream of winning a WTA 1000 tournament came true at the Madrid Open in 2022. She faced Jessica Pegula in the final, and while it wasn’t the cleanest win ever, it was a win nonetheless.
She had hoped to achieve something similar this year when she returned to the Spanish capital, but therein lies the heartbreak as she won’t be returning to the tennis courts at La Caja Magica.
Jabeur, as the defending champion, is set to miss the event because she picked up an injury in the semi-final against Iga Swiatek at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. It’s a huge shame because not only was Jabeur having a really good year so far, but she was also playing fantastic tennis on clay.
She had just won the Charleston Open by beating Belinda Bencic in the final and was looking amazing in Stuttgart, thrashing Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 6-0. She wanted to follow up on that result in the semi-final against Swiatek, but it was cut short because of the injury that will now prevent her from playing at the Madrid Open as well.
Jabeur was devastated that she couldn't play in Madrid, as she explained in the announcement about her withdrawal from the event. The injury needs a bit more time to recover, so there is not much she can do. She did promise to return next year, of course.
"Hello from Madrid, an update on my situation. Further to many medical exams done, it shows that I have a small tear in my calf, and I will need more time to recover. I am sad to announce that I won't be able to compete and defend my title this year atthe Madrid Open. I would like to wish to everyone and the tournament a great event and looking forward to coming back next year."
Shelby Rogers will now become the No.33 seed in the Madrid Open main draw as the previously highest-ranked unseeded player.
