“Unsure of Recovery Time”: Simona Halep Raises Concern Over French Open 2021 Participation After Italian Open Disappointment

Defending Italian Open champion and two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep had an unfortunate injury during her opening round match against Angelique Kerber. The Romanian was cruising through the match before she felt pain in the left calf. She had to limp to reach her seat.

Halep appeared to be in a lot of pain, and it was evident that she could not compete in the match any further. As a result, Kerber was declared the winner and advanced to the third round, where she faces the in-form Jelena Ostapenko.

“I’m so disappointed to end my tournament like this” – Simona Halep

With this sudden withdrawal, Halep’s chances at the French Open are in jeopardy where the Romanian is one of the top contenders to clinch the title. A couple of hours after the injury, Halep took to Twitter to explain her condition.

“Unfortunately an ultrasound has revealed that I have a tear in my left calf. I will get an MRI tomorrow to understand the injury in more detail, but at the moment we are unsure of recovery time. I’m so disappointed to end my tournament in Rome like this,” wrote Halep.

Also read: “Important To Be a Flag Bearer”: Simona Halep Dreams To Win an Olympic Gold Medal

According to the ambiguous tweet, it remains to be seen when the Romanian will be able to step on the court again. During the course of her long career, Halep has suffered minor injuries on occasion but always bounced back stronger.

The two-time Grand Slam champion also mentioned that she will try her best to make a comeback as soon as possible.

“But I will do everything I can to take care of the injury and be back as soon as possible. Thanks so much for your support and I’ll keep you posted on my progress,” Halep concluded in her tweet.

Simona Halep’s season so far has been an underwhelming affair. While she was expected to stage a solid return in the clay-court season, the latest injury scare might affect her chances at Roland Garros. More updates on the injury and Halep’s progress will be revealed in weeks to come.

Also read: Defending Champion Simona Halep Unfortunately Retires Mid-Match at Italian Open 2021 Against Angelique Kerber