Paris: Twice champion Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the French Open tennis tournament after failing to recover fully from shoulder surgery, the former World No.1 said Wednesday on the social media platform. The tournament on the red clay of Roland-Garros starts May 26.
“Withdrawing from the French Open today. Sometimes the right decisions aren’t always the easiest ones,” the Russian wrote on Instagram.
The 32-year-old, who has won five Grand Slam titles, has not played since the end of January and underwent shoulder surgery at the end of February.
“In better news, I have returned to the practice court, and slowly building the strength back in my shoulder,” Sharapova stated.
The Russian beauty queen returned from a doping ban in 2017. However, since her return she has not been able to produce the same kind of form that made her a dreaded opponent.