Tennis pro Victoria Azarenka revealed she will not compete in the French Open because of a foot injury she has been struggling with.
The champ broke the news on Twitter.
“Unfortunately I will not be able to compete in Roland Garros this year,” the 24-year-old wrote. “Working hard on my recovery and getting back on court.”
This is one of many cancellations the Belarusian has announced, also pulling out of competitions in Doha, Miami, Madrid, and Rome because of the nagging injury.
Azarenka’s foot problems began when she played in the Australian Open in January, in which she was attempting to earn the title for the third year in a row. Instead, she lost to Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals.
Here’s what Twitter had to say about the news:
@vika7 We will miss you at #RolandGarros, Victoria Azarenka! Hope to see you play at #Wimbledon: http://t.co/sEw85ue67u
— Championship Tennis (@tennistours) May 20, 2014
@vika7 Awww! Looks like a sweetie! Good luck in your next tournie, Vika. You've got good game.
— Jean Romack (@zenqueenjean) May 20, 2014
Get Well Soon 'Victoria Azarenka' Gonna Miss You In #RolandGarros #FrenchOpen2014 Love You @Vika7 😀
— MANISH [★] (@Manni_FCB) May 20, 2014
Azarenka has only played one match in the past two months, in which she lost to American Lauren Davis at Indian Wells in March, because of the injury to her left foot.
During the match, the athlete had problems with her serve – she double-faulted 12 times – and doubled over in pain repeatedly. It was the first time Davis had beat anyone close to Azarenka’s caliber, likely due to the injury.
Watch the match:
Azarenka, who has been criticized for retiring early in matches, spoke out after the match stating that she probably came back too early after her injury.
“I’m pretty proud of whatever I did today,” Azarenka stated. “I think it’s pretty good considering what I have been through. I want to learn how to go through the tough thing, how to try to do the best in the toughest situation. Sometimes it takes time. It’s a process to go through.”
The French Open, also called Roland Garros, will be held from May 25 to June 8 in Paris. American Serena Williams and Spain’s Rafael Nadal are some of the favorites scheduled to compete.
Image via Wikimedia Commons
