Many fans hoped Eugenie Bouchard would return to tennis at Wimbledon, but the Canadian has confirmed she will not compete at SW19 this year.
Bouchard's last appearance on the WTA Tour was in March 2021 at the Monterrey Open. She lost in the opening round to Lin Zhu in two tight sets and has not played in a tournament since.
The 2014 Wimbledon runner-up's absence since is due to a tear in her right shoulder. She had surgery on the issue in June of last year, leading to an extensive and frustrating recovery period for Bouchard.
Recent updates from the 28-year-old confirmed she was close to returning to the sport. That made some wonder whether she could return at the event where she infamously reached the final.
However, Bouchard has announced her withdrawal from the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. The reason for this is simple: she could not afford to waste her limited number of protected ranking entries at SW19 due to the tournament not awarding ranking points this year.
"I have decided to withdraw from Wimbledon due to the WTA's decision to not award ranking points at this year's Championships. Due to my shoulder surgery, I get a limited number of protected ranking (PR) entries. As much as I love Wimbledon and skipping it makes me sad, using a PR entry at a tournament with no ranking points doesn't make sense."
Bouchard confirmed she had two Grand Slam protected ranking entries, which she would use at the US Open and 2023 Australian Open. The Canadian also expressed her gratitude for all the support from her fans.
"I must choose wisely and use my PR entries at tournaments that will help me get back to where I want to be. I am continuing my training/rehab and plan on returning to competition later this summer. I will now use my two Grand Slam PR entries for the US Open and the Australian Open. Thank you for all the amazing messages of support. I love you guys and can't wait to see everyone again soon."
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