Halep withdraws from Wimbledon: "I gave it everything I had in order to be ready"

Simona Halep has withdrawn from the defence of her Wimbledon title won in 2019 before the draw takes place shortly at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club.

Halep has been blighted all season with a calf injury which came to a head in Rome with Roland Garros having to be missed by the World No.3 and now she will miss back-to-back Grand Slams.

Having accepted a wildcard into Bad Homburg, she withdrew shortly before citing the injury and also preparing for Wimbledon as she headed to England early in order to get practice in and hopefully recover in time to take her place in the draw.

But sadly, that was not the case as she announced her withdrawal on Friday morning with the following statement.

"It is with great sadness that I’m announcing my withdrawal from The Championships as my calf injury has not fully recovered," said Halep on Instagram.

"I gave it everything I had in order to be ready to play Wimbledon and after having such special memories from 2 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.

"I can honestly say that I'm really down and upset about having to take this decision. This period has been difficult but to miss the last two Majors has made it even more challenging mentally and physically. We will see what the future holds but I'm hoping it will make me a stronger person and athlete. Thank you to everyone at Wimbledon for your understanding and support."