Paris: French Open champion Iga Swiatek says she will know in the coming days how serious her thigh injury is and whether she can defend her title at Roland Garros which gets underway on Sunday. The 21-year-old world number one retired from Wednesday’s Italian Open quarter-final with Kazakhstan’s
Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. The match was delicately poised at one set apiece and 2-2 in the decider when the two-time defending champion felt unable to continue. “We’re checking it (the injury),” tweeted the Polish star, who also won the French Open in 2020.
“During the second set I got a thigh injury. The diagnostic is in progress. More info in the following days. Will keep you updated.”
Swiatek, the reigning US Open champion, had roared through the first set but after receiving treatment she called a halt. Meanwhile, Jelena Ostapenko reached the semi-finals in Rome for the first time after holding off a mid-match surge from Paula Badosa to claim a 6-2 4-6 6-3 victory.
Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open winner, will face seventh seed Rybakina.