Karolina Muchova has pulled out of next month’s Australian Open with a nagging wrist injury that also kept her out of the WTA Finals in October.
The 27-year-old Czech player, who is No. 8 in the WTA rankings, enjoyed one of her best seasons this year and finished runner-up to the top-ranked Iga Swiatek at the French Open before a run to the US Open semifinals in September, where she suffered the right wrist issue.
She was set to compete in the season-ending championships in Cancun for the first time before pulling out and being replaced by Maria Sakkari.
“This isn’t my favourite thing to share especially at the start of a new season, but unfortunately the pain in the wrist came back in the middle of my preparation,” Muchova, a former Melbourne Park semifinalist, said on Instagram on Thursday. “I therefore have to postpone the start of the season and fully heal my wrist first. It’s frustrating but I have to keep positive, recover and get ready for the rest of the year.”
The Australian Open takes place Jan. 14-28.