Katie Boulter has enjoyed a superb start to her grass-court season, reaching the semifinals of Queen’s in her first event.
Boulter entered the tournament after a second round exit from the French Open, giving her plenty of time to make the transition from clay to grass.
And the WTA ace certainly made the most of that time, making it all the way to the last four of Queen’s before losing to eventual champion Donna Vekic.
Boulter is now 56th in the WTA rankings after that run, although her momentum has now been halted by a minor injury that has ruled her out of the Nottingham Open.
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Katie Boulter withdraws from Nottingham Open with injury
Boulter confirmed in a post on her Instagram: “Small update, unfortunately I’m having to withdraw from Nottingham after picking up a small injury last week, there’s not quite enough time.
“If you know anything about me, you’ll know that this tournament is so much more than just another week, it means a great deal to me personally.
“I’m sorry to not be out there but it’s the right thing for me to do.”
It’s a painful update from Boulter in more ways than one, with many fans having undoubtedly been excited to see her in action.
But it’s definitely a wise move from the Briton, who does not need to take any risks as Wimbledon approaches.
Katie Boulter joins Emma Raducanu in Nottingham Open withdrawal
Boulter, who claimed a huge victory over Elena Rybakina at Queen’s, is certainly not the only high-profile player to withdraw from the Nottingham Open.
She is joined by her fellow Briton Emma Raducanu, who made it to the final of Queen’s before losing to Vekic.
It was a great event for British players, but it does mean that Nottingham has taken a hit given its place in the busy schedule.
Arriving just after Queen’s and shortly before Wimbledon, withdrawals were always going to be a possibility.
But again, it’s a very smart decision from Raducanu, who was forced to play her quarterfinal and semifinal matches in London on the same day.
She had her left thigh strapped during her fine run at Queen’s, although her Nottingham withdrawal appears to be more of a precautionary measure at this stage.
Also deciding against taking part in the WTA 250 event because of injury is American ace Iva Jovic, although the likes of Leylah Fernandez, Emma Navarro and Qinwen Zheng are all involved.
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