“Sometimes life throws unexpected challenges our way”: Barbora Krejcikova confirms early end to 2025 season

The season has ended for Barbora Krejcikova following the recent injury that forced her to withdraw from the WTA 1000 China Open in the third round. The Czech player had been finding her rhythm over the last couple of months, but a new injury complicated things, and she ended up abandoning the Beijing tournament while facing McCartney Kessler in the third round (6-1, 5-7, 0-3, ret.).

The two-time Grand Slam champion suffered a fall at the beginning of the match, but after a medical time-out—and receiving treatment and bandaging on her left knee—the former World No. 2 was able to continue the match, comfortably taking the first set. However, things became complicated in the second set with a comeback from Kessler, and when the American took the lead in the third set, Krejcikova had to throw in the towel for the day.

It has been a lamentable season for Krejcikova, who suffered a back injury during the first part of the season and only began her journey in May of this year. The Czech—who started the year in the Top-10—suffered a sharp drop in the rankings two months later after being unable to defend her title at Wimbledon, leaving her on the verge of dropping out of the Top-80.

Although it took her several tournaments to regain competitive rhythm, her campaign to the Round of 16 at the Cincinnati Open and then to the quarterfinals of the US Open had given her a lifeline with a good number of ranking points. She continued to accumulate wins at the Korea Open, reaching the quarterfinals again to start the Asian swing on a positive note.

However, everything came to an end after what happened in Beijing. She secured straight-set victories against Anna Blinkova and Ekaterina Alexandrova before her retirement against Kessler. "Moments like these are never easy... I was excited for this Asian tour and was looking forward to every moment on and off the court. Unfortunately, I had to cut it short earlier than expected due to an injury," she posted on social media. "After trying yesterday, it became clear that it was more serious than I thought. I still don't know how long my recovery will take. I will return to Europe to meet with my medical team and focus on my recovery, step by step."

"Even though I didn't hope the season would take this turn, I am very grateful for the incredible experiences I've had here and the amazing support I've received from you all. Every message, every word of encouragement means everything to me. I look forward to coming back stronger, playing the game I love, and seeing all of you again soon. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

The former World No. 2 was scheduled to attend the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open and then the WTA 250 Ningbo Open as her final commitments of the season. However, now back in Europe, the Czech bids farewell to competitive tennis until at least 2026.

Krejcikova managed to climb a good number of spots in recent weeks, placing her as World No. 34 at the start of this week (and World No. 32 in the live ranking). Nevertheless, the 29-year-old still has the points earned at the 2024 WTA Finals—where she reached the semifinals. Without the possibility of adding more points in the final part of the year, Krejcikova will end the year outside the Top-50 for the first time since 2020.