According to Field Level Media on Wednesday, reigning Wimbledon champion and 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic has withdrawn from the two WTA 1000 tennis tournaments in the United States next month. Krejcikova will not be competing at the Tennis Masters 1000 series event in Indian Wells and Miami over the next four weeks because of a back injury.
Krejcikova injured her back at some point during the Asian swing in the fall. In four matches over three events in China, Krejcikova only had a record of one win and three losses. She lost to Jaqueline Cristian of Romania 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the first round at the 2024 China Open in Beijing (same venue as the 2008 Olympic Games), and to Hailey Baptiste of the United States 6-3, 7-5 in the first round of the 2024 Wuhan Open. Then at the 2024 Ningbo Open, Krejcikova came through with a second round 7-6, 6-3 win over Yexin Ma of China after getting a first round bye. In the quarterfinals, Krejcikova then lost 7-6, 3-2 to Russian teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva. Due to the fact that Krejcikova did not finish this match against Andreeva, it is fair to say that it was around this time the back problem flared up.
Krejcikova was last seen at the 2024 WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia. She reached the semifinals there before losing 6-3, 7-5 to Qinwen Zheng of China.
It should be noted that 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan did not play the 2024 Asia swing at all because of a back ailment. Rybakina has come back in 2025 playing rather effectively as she reached the semifinals of the Abu Dhabi Open and the Dubai Tennis Championships.
