Haddad-Maia won't defend Birmingham Classic title after knee injury sustained in Nottingham

Beatriz Haddad Maia won Nottingham last year and Birmingham the following week however she won't defend either of those trophies due to an injury.

Haddad Maia recently had her best grand slam outing at Roland Garros as she managed to go to the semi-final where she was beaten by Iga Swiatek. She was excited to return to grass with a lot of confidence following that Paris run however it was a short stay in Nottingham. She lost in the opening round losing out on the chance to successfully defend the trophy she won last year.

After the match, it became apparent that the Brazilian was dealing with some knee discomfort during that match which affected her play. There were no talks about an injury at that time but fans were worried because knees are notoriously tricky to handle. A few days after that exit, news came out that Haddad Maia indeed has a knee injury which forced her to withdraw from the Birmingham Classic the following week.

It's an unfortunate sequence of events because the Brazilian won both Nottingham and Birmingham last year and she won't defend either of those trophies. That will be a hit in the rankings and it comes at the worst possible time following the breakout at Roland Garros. It's unclear what the injury means for her Wimbledon participation as there is no news yet.

The hope is that Haddad Maia doesn't miss out on the event but knee injuries are notoriously tricky to heal and they never heal in like one or two weeks. Fans will be holding out for some positive news but the likelihood of those are uncertain. After all the hardships she endured, being out for a long time with a knee injury would be the last thing she deserves. Quick Recovery !