Two-time Australian Open semifinalist, Madison Keys, was forced to withdraw from the tournament's 112th edition.
The 2024 WTA season is not starting well for the 28-year-old. Last year, Keys was able to finish the year as world no. 12, winning 33 matches, the most in her career since 2016.
Now, at the start of the new season, she wanted to follow up on that, but quite quickly, things started going in the wrong direction. First, she was forced to withdraw from the Brisbane International, and now she has also announced her withdrawal from the 2024 Australian Open.
It's a Grand Slam tournament where she reached the semifinals in 2022 and 2015, when she lost to eventual champions on both occasions, and the American also played quarterfinal in Melbourne Park back in 2018.
The tournament often proved to be a vital part of the new season for Keys, but that won't be the case in 2024, as her medical team advised her not to compete at the tournament due to her shoulder injury.
"Hi everyone. Unfortunately, I’ve been struggling with a shoulder injury and have been advised by my medical staff to withdraw from the Australian Open this year. This obviously isn’t the best news to start the tennis season, but I also know I’m making the right choice for my body."
For Keys, withdrawing from Australian Open is devastating, and her position in the WTA Rankings will take a significant hit. Last year, she started the season on a seven-match win streak when she was part of the winning team at the United Cup, and reached the third round of the Australian Open.
This year, she won't get to experience the atmosphere of the first major of the new season, and not getting to meet the fans is also something that the American is sad about.
"I absolutely love Melbourne and the fans there so much and can’t wait to see you next year. Australian Open Thank you everyone for your support as always, it means a lot."
For Keys, an obvious target will be the Indian Wells and the Miami Open, where she will certainly want to return to action. The first of these two tournaments is set to start on March 6th, 2024.
0 Comments