Petra Kvitová has withdrawn from the French Open due to an ankle injury she says she suffered Sunday during her post-match press requirements.
The 12th-ranked women’s player in the world, seeded No. 11 in Paris, had rallied to beat Belgium’s Greet Minnen in the first round 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 when “I fell and hurt my ankle,” she wrote in a statement posted on social media.
“Unfortunately, after an MRI and much discussion with my team, I have made the tough decision that it would be unwise to play on it,” Kvitová wrote. “It’s incredibly bad luck, but I will stay strong and do my best to recover in time for grass-court season.”
Kvitová, a two-time Wimbledon champion (2011, 2014), was scheduled to play Elena Vesnina in the second round; Vesnina will now advance. Kvitová made the semifinals at Roland Garros in 2020 and won bronze representing the Czech Republic during the 2016 Rio Olympics.