Ex-Wimbledon champion and World No.2 suffers injury days before tournament

Elena Rybakina has suffered another setback ​in her Wimbledon preparations after withdrawing from the ‌Bad Homburg Open with a hip issue. Rybakina’s decision to remove herself from the upcoming WTA 500 grass-court tournament comes just a day after her surprise round-of-16 defeat to Alexandra Eala ​at the Berlin Open. Confirming her withdrawal, Rybakina said in a statement: “Unfortunately, I have to withdraw ⁠from Bad Homburg due to some discomfort in ​my right hip. Get tennis news, scores and tournament results plus selected offers and competitions We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy "I need to consult with my medical team and undergo further assessment before making any ​decisions about the next steps. Thank you for ​your understanding and support.” Rybakina, 27, suffered a second successive early exit as she was dumped out of the Berlin Open by 35th-ranked Alexandra Eala on Thursday. Rybakina, who was beaten in the quarter-finals of the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club last week by British number three Katie Boulter, succumbed 7-5, 6-4 in the last 16 in Germany. Eala piled the pressure on her Kazakh opponent by taking the first set and then establishing a 5-3 lead in the second. Rybakina held to make it 5-4, but from 30-15 up on the 21-year-old Filipino’s serve, she lost the next three points to complete a miserable afternoon. EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page A two-time Grand Slam champion, Rybakina captured the Wimbledon title in 2022 and also won the Australian Open earlier this year, but she is now 32-10 this season. Rybakina will now aim to be back to full fitness for the start of Wimbledon, ⁠which ​begins on June 29, and will be broadcast live on the BBC.