Reigning Wimbledon champion Simona Halep will not defend her title this year because of an ongoing calf problem.

The Romanian sustained the injury at the Italian Open back in May and has not featured since –– missing the French Open earlier this month.

Halep had already announced she wouldn’t compete in any other grass events in the build-up to Wimbledon.She has now confirmed her calf has not healed sufficiently enough to take part in the Championships, despite undergoing surgery.

The 29-year-old’s withdrawal comes after world number two Naomi Osaka also pulled out of the competition –– citing ongoing mental health struggles as the reason.

Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, who is seeded first heading into next week, has also struggled with injuries of late. The 25-year-old pulled out of the French Open with a left hip problem, but has seemingly recovered in time as she bids to win her first Wimbledon title.

What were Halep’s chances of winning?

Halep stormed to victory in 2019 when she beat Serena Williams in straight sets to win her second Grand Slam title and was largely tipped to win back-to-back Championships by experts.

Prior to pulling out, the Romanian was seeded second for this year’s event, behind Barty, who is yet to advance beyond the fourth round of the competition.

The world number three has both winning experience at the All England Club and a naturally suited game for grass, so would likely have been one of the player’s to beat had she been fit.