
Ukrainian pair plan show of solidarity ahead of second-round match at Wimbledon
The players are set to play Wednesday.
Ahead of this year’s French Open, one of last year’s finalists – world No. 21 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – announced that she would be withdrawing from the tournament and ending her 2022 season due to a knee injury.
The 30-year-old finished as the runner-up to Barbora Krejcikova at Roland Garros last year in her first-ever Grand Slam final. She also won the mixed doubles gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics last summer.
This season, though, Pavlyuchenkova sat out 10 weeks after the Australian Open with a nagging knee injury. While she won the doubles title with Veronika Kudermetova at the Italian Open last week, she said that experience made her realize she needed to step back.
“The last two tournaments [have] showed me that the pain was still there and I wasn’t ready,” Pavlyuchenkova wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. “So I have decided to take more time and come back stronger next year!”
Update ! @rolandgarros 🫶♥️ pic.twitter.com/cEBOiTvmNY
— Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (@NastiaPav) May 17, 2022
Pavlyuchenkova had played in 14 straight French Open main draws dating back to 2008. In that time, she has missed just one Grand Slam tournament: the U.S. Open in 2020.World No. 21 Pavlyuchenkova ends season due to knee injury
The players are set to play Wednesday.
Serena Williams will face off against Harmony Tan first.
Raducanu kicks off Wimbledon run on Centre Court.
Athletes and commentators open up about Wimbledon's all-white rule.
Get a rundown of the top highlights, stories, and events in women’s sports, including can’t-miss games and exclusive features.