The Asian swing has seen a flurry of injuries already, with multiple ATP and WTA stars withdrawing from the China Open.
Jakub Mensik and Lorenzo Musetti were both forced to retire from their matches in Beijing, while on the women’s side, Lois Boisson and Camila Osorio called a halt to their third-round clashes mid-contest.
Osorio’s conqueror, Iga Swiatek, blamed the ‘crazy’ WTA schedule for the injuries, and said she might start skipping mandatory tournaments if the tennis calendar stays as is.
Now, one injury to a two-time Grand Slam champion that occurred last week has become ‘more serious’ than initially thought.
Former Wimbledon champion posts injury update on social media
On Sunday, former Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova was forced to retire from her match with McCartney Kessler due to a knee injury.
The Czech star attempted to play on after a medical timeout, but the pain appeared to worsen.
A day later, Krejcikova took to social media to give an emotional update.
In a post on Instagram, she said: “Moments like this are never easy. I was so excited for this Asian swing, looking forward to every moment on and off the court.
“But unfortunately, it had to end sooner than I ever expected due to an injury. After pushing through yesterday, it became clear that it’s more serious than I initially thought, and I don’t yet know how long recovery will take.
“I’m heading back to Europe to see my medical team and focus on getting better, step by step.
“Even though this isn’t how I hoped this part of the season would go, I feel incredibly grateful – grateful for the amazing experiences I’ve had here, and most of all, for the incredible support I’ve received from so many of you.
“Every message, every word of encouragement, every cheer – it truly means the world. I can’t wait to come back stronger, play the game I love, and see all of you again soon. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Barbora Krejcikova’s results during the Asian swing before injury
Krejcikova had picked up four wins during the Asian swing across both the Korea Open and the China Open.
She beat Tatiana Prozorova and Emma Raducanu in Seoul before bowing out to eventual champion Swiatek in the quarterfinals.
The world number 34 had earned two straight-set victories in Beijing, including a triumph over ninth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
In her match with Kessler, Krejcikova was a set up, but the pain in her knee saw her campaign come to an end in the third round.
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