2019 champion Halep withdraws from Wimbledon for injury

ANKARA

The 2019 women's singles champion Simona Halep on Friday withdrew from this year's Wimbledon tennis tournament over an injury.

"It is with great sadness that I'm announcing my withdrawal from The [Wimbledon] Championships as my calf injury has not fully recovered," the world no. 3 from Romania said in a statement issued on Wimbledon's website.

"I gave it everything I had in order to be ready to play Wimbledon and after having such special memories from two years ago, I was excited and honored to step back on these beautiful courts as defending champion. Unfortunately, my body didn't cooperate and I'll have to save that feeling for next year," the 29-year-old added.

Halep retired from a second-round match against German opponent Angelique Kerber at a WTA event in Rome in May over an injury and is yet to recover.

She previously missed the second Grand Slam of the year, the French Open (Roland Garros) held between May and June in Paris.

The 2020 Wimbledon was not held due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Halep is a two-time Grand Slam champion in singles as she won the 2018 French Open and 2019 Wimbledon.

One of the four majors, Wimbledon, the oldest tennis tournament in the world, will be held in London from June 28 to July 11.