Ajla Tomljanovic and Paula Badosa withdrew from the Australian Open owing to Knee and thigh injuries. Tomljanovic beat Serena Williams at US Open last year.
Their exits will allow Leolia Jeanjean and Laura Pigossi — two players who lost in qualifying — to move into the main draw at the year's first Grand Slam tournament, which begins Monday (Sunday night EST).
Tomljanovic, currently ranked 35th, wrote on Twitter: "I've done absolutely everything in my power to get healthy but just ran out of time to heal and be 100 per cent ready to compete at a high level."
She reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2022. Her 7-5 6-7 (4) 6-1 victory over Williams — who had announced before play began at Flushing Meadows that she was ready to walk away from her playing career — put Tomljanovic in the fourth round in New York for the first time.
Badosa, who has been ranked as high as No. 2, pulled out of the semifinals at the Adelaide International tournament this week after injuring her thigh there.
Top Women Players To Watch Out
Iga Swiatek
Ranked: 1
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Poland
Age: 21
2022 Record: 67-9
2022 Titles: 8
Career Titles: 11
Grand Slam Titles: 3 — French Open (2: 2020, 2022), U.S. Open (1: 2022)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2022-Lost in Semifinals, 2021-Lost in 4th Round, 2020-4th, 2019-2nd, 2018-Did Not Play
Ons Jabeur
- Ranked: 2
- Career-Best Ranking: 2
- Country: Tunisia
- Age: 28
- 2022 Record: 47-17
- 2022 Titles: 2
- Career Titles: 3
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: Runner-Up, Wimbledon (2022), U.S. Open (2022)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2022-DNP, 2021-2nd, 2020-QF, 2019-1st, 2018-1st
Jessica Pegula
- Ranked: 3
- Career-Best Ranking: 3
- Country: United States
- Age: 28
- 2022 Record: 42-21
- 2022 Titles: 1
- Career Titles: 2
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: QF, Australian Open (2021, 2022), French Open (2022), U.S. Open (2022)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2022-QF, 2021-QF, 2020-1st, 2019-DNP, 2018-DNP
Caroline Garcia
- Ranked: 4
- Career-Best Ranking: 4
- Country: France
- Age: 29
- 2022 Record: 43-20
- 2022 Titles: 4
- Career Titles: 11
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: SF, U.S. Open (2022)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2022-1st, 2021-2nd, 2020-2nd, 2019-3rd, 2018-4th
Maria Sakkari
- Ranked: 6
- Career-Best Ranking: 3
- Country: Greece
- Age: 27
- 2022 Record: 40-23
- 2022 Titles: Zero
- Career Titles: 1
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: SF, French Open (2021), U.S. Open (2021)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2022-4th, 2021-1st, 2020-4th, 2019-2nd, 2018-1st
Coco Gauff
- Ranked: 7
- Career-Best Ranking: 4
- Country: United States
- Age: 18
- 2022 Record: 38-22
- 2022 Titles: Zero
- Career Titles: 3
Grand Slam Titles: None — Best: Runner-Up, French Open (2022)
Last 5 Australian Opens: 2022-1st, 2021-2nd, 2020-4th, 2019-DNP, 2018-DNP
The competition is set to run till January 29.
(Inputs PTI)
