There is never a good time for any athlete to suffer an injury.
But for a tennis player, there is perhaps no worse moment for that to happen than on the eve of a Grand Slam.
On Thursday former top 10 player and 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini was forced to withdraw from the French Open due to an unspecified injury.
But just a day later, a member of the WTA Tour and a former Olympic gold medallist, had to do the same.
Former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic has withdrawn from the French Open
The draw for the French Open was announced on Thursday, but one name will now need to be replaced.
Belinda Bencic was due to take on Elena Rybakina in a mouthwatering first round tie on the Parisian clay.
But the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist has since taken to Instagram on Friday afternoon to announce that she will no longer be part of the French Open after re-aggravating an arm injury in training.
This is the same injury that caused her to retire from her opening match at the Italian Open against Maria Sakkari.
“I will, unfortunately, miss Roland Garros this year,” Bencic wrote. “Just two days ago during a morning practice, I re-aggravated the arm injury that forced me to retire in Rome.”
How long will Belinda Bencic be out of action due to injury?
Bencic made a return to the WTA Tour at the end of 2024, six months after giving birth to her daughter Bella.
Since then, Bencic has won the Abu Dhabi Open and reached the Indian Wells quarter-finals, and she aimed to have a strong run at Roland Garros. But due to her arm injury she will watch the clay court Grand Slam from the sidelines.
However, Bencic says she will be out for two weeks and she aims to be back in action for the grass court season in June.
“The very good news is that with two weeks of complete rest, I will be able to recover and heal fully,” Bencic added.
“So I will do everything I can in that period to speed up the process and therefore see you soon on the grass!”
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