Jessica Pegula won't be competing at the 2024 Qatar Open and the 2024 Dubai Championships.
With the first Grand Slam of the season over, players started looking towards the two WTA 1000 tournaments in the Middle East, as they offer a plenty points, together as much as victory at the Australian Open.
One of the players, who were looking to do well in Doha and Dubai was certainly the 29-year-old American, who was first forced to withdraw from her semifinal match in Adelaide, then, she lost in only 72 minutes at the Australian Open, and as a result, also withdrew from the doubles tournament.
It was a very difficult period for Pegula, which she wanted to forget in Doha and Dubai, but now, the world no. 4 was forced to withdraw from both tournaments because of a neck injury.
Last year, the American reached the final in Doha, before making the semifinals in Dubai, and because of her absence this year, she's guaranteed to drop by at least one place in the WTA Rankings.
She joins the likes of Madison Keys, who also withdrew from the tournament, as well as Petra Kvitova and Belinda Bencic, who are pregnant, in missing the Middle East Swing in Qatar and United Arab Emirates.
For Pegula, the focus will now undoubtedly turn to another swing, this time the Sunshine Double, which is the swing of two popular tournaments, the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open.
Last year, the American lost in the round of 16 in Indian Wells, but she reached the semifinals in Miami, so she has, once again, a lot of points to defend, and if she wants to avoid further slip down the rankings, it will be important for her to recover quickly.
For now, Pegula will turn her focus to recovery, and fans will be eagerly awaiting her back on the tennis courts.