Berlin Tennis Open

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova slips and falls, retires from Berlin match because of injury

The Czech was leading Anna Kalinskaya 5-3 in the first set of their match when she slipped, fell and injured her right hip, per the WTA.



MATCH POINT: Coco Gauff tops Ekaterina Alexandrova, reaches Berlin quarterfinals0:42

BERLIN (AP) — Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova retired from her match in Berlin on Thursday because of an apparent leg injury less than two weeks before play begins at the All England Club.

Vondrousova was leading 5-3 in her second-round match against Anna Kalinskaya at the grass-court Ladies Open when she slipped behind the baseline and clutched her right leg.

The 24-year-old Czech player got up holding her right hip area and returned after a medical timeout with the upper part of her leg heavily strapped. She played two more games, losing both, and then stopped.

First-round play begins at Wimbledon on July 1.

Last year, Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon. She beat Ons Jabeur in straight sets.

BERLIN, GERMANY - JUNE 20: Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic in action against Anna Kalinskaya in the second round on Day 4 of the Ecotrans Ladies Open Berlin on June 20, 2024 in Berlin, Germany (Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images)
© 2024 Robert Prange

Also Thursday, top-seeded Coco Gauff beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (6), 6-2, and second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka defeated Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-4.

Elena Rybakina reached the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Veronika Kudermetova.

Jabeur shook off a slow start to beat Linda Noskova 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4. Fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula advanced by beating Donna Vekic 6-4, 7-5.