Defending champion suffers injury scare days before Wimbledon and withdraws from warm-up tournament, ‘I’m very sorry’

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The 2025 Wimbledon tournament is just days away as several WTA stars finish up their preparations in Eastbourne.

Four Grand Slam champions made the trip to south-east England for the final warm-up tournament before Wimbledon.

2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin was the first to fall at Eastbourne, losing her first-round match to Kimberly Birrell.

Two more fell in the second round as Emma Raducanu lost to Maya Joint, before Jelena Ostapenko retired against Alexandra Eala with an injury.

Only one of the four Grand Slam champions qualified for the quarterfinals, but she won’t be competing for a place in the last four, following her withdrawal from the Eastbourne International.

Defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova withdraws from Eastbourne with injury scare

Ahead of her quarterfinal match with French qualifier Varvara Gracheva, 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova withdrew from the tournament with an injury scare.

“I’m very sorry to have to withdraw from my QF today in Eastbourne as I’m having some soreness in my right thigh,” she said.

“I’ve truly enjoyed my time down here the past week and loved being back on the grass. I wish the tournament team the best for the final few days, and I look forward to returning to see all the wonderful fans here next year.”

Krejcikova had battled through two deciding sets on her way to the quarterfinals at Eastbourne, defeating British stars Harriet Dart and Jodie Burrage.

• 2025 Eastbourne International 1R – Barbora Krejcikova beat Harriet Dart, 6-3, 6-7, 7-5
• 2025 Eastbourne International 2R – Barbora Krejcikova beat Jodie Burrage, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6

Against Burrage, Krejcikova pulled off a miraculous recovery to reach the quarterfinals, saving three match points in the deciding set.

The Czech star’s win over Burrage saw her clinch two consecutive match wins at a tournament for just the second time since her Wimbledon triumph 12 months ago.

Struggling with injuries and form since winning Wimbledon in 2024, Krejcikova has won just seven matches on the WTA Tour.

Heading into her title defence low on confidence and with questions over her fitness, Krejcikova certainly looks to be up against it, with the tournament just four days away.

How did Barbora Krejcikova win Wimbledon in 2024?

Travelling to Wimbledon as the number 31 seed, there weren’t many people tipping Krejcikova to win the tournament in 2024.

However, as several top-ten seeds fell during the early rounds, Krejcikova used her Grand Slam experience to return to a final for the first time since her victory at Roland Garros in 2021.

• 2024 Wimbledon 1R – Barbora Krejcikova beat Veronika Kudermetova, 7-6, 6-7, 7-5
• 2024 Wimbledon 2R – Barbora Krejcikova beat Katie Volynets, 7-6, 7-6
• 2024 Wimbledon 3R – Barbora Krejcikova beat Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, 6-0, 4-3 (RET)
• 2024 Wimbledon 4R – Barbora Krejcikova beat Danielle Collins, 7-5, 6-3
• 2024 Wimbledon QF – Barbora Krejcikova beat Jelena Ostapenko, 6-4, 7-6
• 2024 Wimbledon SF – Barbora Krejcikova beat Elena Rybakina, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

Standing between Krejcikova and a second major title was Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, who had finished as runner-up at the French Open one month earlier.

Of the two, it was Krejcikova who started strongest, storming into a one-set lead 6-2, on Centre Court.

Not prepared to give up without a fight, the Italian stepped into another gear in the second, levelling things up as the Wimbledon final went all the way to a deciding set.

There, it was Krejcikova who prevailed, coming through to win her maiden Wimbledon title 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

Proudly posing with the Venus Rosewater Dish, Krejcikova became just the fifth active player in the women’s game to have won multiple Grand Slam titles.

She’ll no doubt be hoping to defend her title in 2025 and take her Grand Slam tally to three, although it remains to be seen if she will be fit to compete at SW19.

The 2025 Wimbledon tournament is scheduled to begin four days from now, on Monday, June 30.