"Unfortunately, I suffered an injury after Miami" - Aryna Sabalenka delays start to clay swing after pulling out of Stuttgart Open

Aryna Sabalenka indulged in an extremely busy Sunshine swing, playing in every match possible enroute to collecting a brace of WTA 1000 titles. That has come at a cost with the world number one set to sit out of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Stuttgart Open.

It is not the first time this year that Sabalenka has chosen to skip tournaments. After a busy start to the year, where she reached the Brisbane International and Australian Open final, she opted not to take part in either the Qatar Open or the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

This gave her a chance to rest and reset her body for the Sunshine swing. It turned out to be an inspired decision, going on to win both Indian Wells and the Miami Open to complete a scintillating Sunshine double.

However, this has taken a toll on her body. She was set to make a return to Stuttgart in hopes of finally winning the title. She had made the final four times from the previous five editions, including last year, and lost every single one. It was Jelena Ostapenko who took her down in a straight-sets victory.

She confirmed the news on Instagram, writing a message to her fans. "Hi Stuttgart. I'm very sad to say that I won't be able to play the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix this year," she wrote on her story.

"I always love coming back to Stuttgart. The atmosphere, the fans, and the support I feel there are so special to me. And of course, I was really hoping to have another chance to fight for that Porsche."

She opened up about the reason why she could not make the trip to Germany. "Unfortunately, I suffered an injury after Miami, and even though I tried everything to recover in time, I'm not ready to compete. I'm really sorry to miss this amazing tournament. Wishing everyone a great week in Stuttgart, and I hope to see you all again very soon."

The tournament is now for the taking for the other competitors. Noted as a very stacked tournament, six of the top 10 players in the world will feature, down from seven with Sabalenka's withdrawal. Magdalena Frech is a benefitiory from this news, stepping into the main draw to fill the void left by the four-time finalist. The tournament will take place from April 13-19.