With the 2024
Australian Open slated to begin on January 14, Czech tennis star
Marketa Vondrousova will have to fight hard to overcome an unexpected injury issue in order to compete in Melbourne.
The 2023 Wimbledon champion picked up the injury after competing at the 2024
United Cup, where she represented her home country of Czech Republic. Vondrousova played two singles matches and one mixed doubles match, defeating Serbia's Olga Danilovic but falling to China's Qinwen Zheng. The Czech Republic failed to reach the knockout stages, with Team Germany eventually winning the mixed-gender event.
Injury scare forces Vondrousova to withdraw from Adelaide
Vondrousova was slated to compete at the ongoing
Adelaide International, but announced her withdrawal from the event on Tuesday. The World No.7 cited a hip injury, and has refrained from elaborating on the matter. With the Australian Open set to begin on Sunday, the Wimbledon champion will be forced to make some important decisions regarding her ability to play in the next few days.
The Australian Open will already be lacking some star power, as a few big names have announced their withdrawal. Compatriot Petra Kvitova will miss the event after announcing her pregnancy with her first child, while Karolina Muchova and Madison Keys are pulling out due to wrist and shoulder injuries respectively. Two-time champion
Rafael Nadal also announced his withdrawal due to a minor muscle injury, the Spaniard was hoping to make his comeback after spending almost a year on the sidelines after sustaining a hip injury at last year's event.