World No. 44 Anastasia Potapova has withdrawn from Wimbledon hours before she was due to take to the court for her first-round match. The Russian was set to face Magdalena Frech later this afternoon but she has now pulled out and been replaced by lucky loser Victoria Mboko.
But Potapova will still pocket £33,000 without taking to the court thanks to a rule that means players who withdrew from Grand Slam tournaments before their opening match receive 50 per cent of the first-round prize money.
Potapova, whose best result here is a third-round showing in 2023, was due to play the fourth match on Court 4 against No. 25 seed Frech. But she pulled out shortly after 1pm on Tuesday afternoon.
The 24-year-old’s grass season has been derailed by injuries. She won her opening match in the qualifying event at the WTA 500 in Berlin last month, then withdrew before round two, citing a muscle tear.
Potapova also skipped last week’s Eastbourne Open but hoped to be ready to compete at Wimbledon. She was spotted training around the grounds over the weekend, but has not recovered in time.
While she won’t get to take to the courts at the hallowed All England Club this summer, the former world No.21 will still go home with a cheque for £33k without playing a match.
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