Just minutes before the start of her first match at Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam tennis tournament in London, Greet Minnen withdrew on Monday. The Belgian tennis federation explained that Minnen was suffering from a back injury sustained on Saturday and was unable to recover in time.
The Belgian No.2 was due to play 27-year-old Australian Olivia Gadecki (WTA 103) in the first round. Minnen is replaced in the final draw by a lucky loser, Australian Solana Sierra (WTA 101).
This was to be Sierra’s fifth Wimbledon in singles. Her best result is a second-round appearance, in 2022 and last year.
Minnen, on the other hand, is likely to be fit to play doubles, where she is ranked 586th in the world. Along with Romania’s Monica Niculescu (WTA D-56), she faces Belarusian Victoria Azarenka (WTA D-201) and American Ashlyn Krueger in the first round.
