By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday January 11, 2025
11 active Grand Slam champions entered the women’s singles draw at the Australian Open, but one of them – the 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova – was a last-minute withdrawal.
Vondrousova made the news on Monday in Melbourne and was replaced by Great Britain’s Harriet Dart in the draw.
Dart entered to face Croatian qualifier Jana Fett.
Marketa Vondrousova, who played 1.5 matches since Wimbledon (last week in Adelaide), withdraws from #AusOpen minutes before her first round match.Lucky loser Harriet Dart stepped in to play Janna Fett. pic.twitter.com/6wAo64apnK
– José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 13, 2025
“Heartbroken to withdraw from the Australian Open due to an injury I sustained in Adelaide,” Vondrousova wrote on social media. “I was looking forward to the tournament, but health comes first. Thank you for your support and we hope to see you in court soon.”
The 25-year-old underwent shoulder surgery in 2024, but her current injury is to her upper leg. She left her round of 16 match two weeks ago in tears after pulling out with an injury against Diana Shnaider.
In Melbourne she was seen in practice with heavy thigh straps but was unable to get fit enough to compete.
The former Wimbledon champion lost in the first round of her title defense to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. She was the first defending champion to lose in the first round of a Wimbledon title defense since 1994.
