Barbora Krejcikova just cannot seem to catch a break after facing another setback in her return to competitive tennis.
Krejcikova is a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, with her most recent title coming at Wimbledon in 2024.
However, the Czech has also faced many physical struggles in her career, as Krejcikova struggled with a back injury earlier this year which forced her to miss the first four months of the 2025 season.
The back injury appeared to subside and Krejcikova was able to reach the quarterfinals of the US Open, but another physical issue has disrupted her progress since then.
Barbora Krejcikova retires from her first match in over two months
Krejcikova headed to Asia alongside the rest of the WTA Tour after the US Open, but she picked up a fresh injury concern.
In her match against McCartney Kessler at the China Open, Krejcikova suffered a right knee injury which forced her to retire.
After having scans on her knee, Krejcikova revealed her knee injury was worse than first thought and many assumed she had ended her 2025 season.
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However, Krejcikova entered the WTA 125 tournament in Limoges to get some match practice in ahead of the 2026 season.
The former world number two was handed a tricky opener against 2018 US Open semifinalist Anastasija Sevastova, but her opponent was not what ended up being the biggest issue.
Krejcikova found herself a set and a break down, but she fought back to force a deciding set.
However, the deciding set was unable to really get going, as Krejcikova was forced to retire after just seven points seemingly due to the same knee issue.
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This will be the conclusion of the 2025 season for Krejcikova, with it currently unclear as to the severity of her injury.
Krejcikova has ended the season as the world number 65, which is her lowest year-end ranking in five years.
However, the 10-time doubles Grand Slam champion is still ranked high enough to gain direct entry for the Australian Open.
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Before she competes at the first Grand Slam tournament of the 2026 season, Krejcikova will make her debut at the United Cup.
Playing alongside her compatriot and Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik, Krejcikova is set to play singles matches against Norway’s Malene Helgo and Australian teenager Maya Joint.
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