Maria Sharapova has had to cancel her participation in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (all sessions from Monday onwards live on DAZN). The Russian is suffering from an injury to her forearm. Australian Open quarter-finalist Madison Keys is also not at the start in Dubai.
“Maria has informed us that she finds it a pity not to be able to come,”said Dubai’s tournament director Salah Tahlak in a press release.”We wish her a speedy recovery.”
The 30-year-old originally received a wild card for the tournament. Last Monday she lost in the first round of the Qatar Open against Monica Nicuslescu from Romania in three sets.
The current number 41 in the world is looking at a record of 21-10 victories since its return from the doping ban last April. At the beginning of the current season she reached the semi-finals in Shenzhen. At the Australian Open, Sharapova was defeated in the third round by Angelique Kerber, who lost only four games in that match.
Sharapova’s cancellation was not the only one that reached Tahlak on Thursday. Keys will not play in the United Arab Emirates either, the US-American is not included due to illness.