Right-shoulder injury forces Simona Halep to cut Miami Open bid short

There won’t be another meeting between major winners Simona Halep and Iga Swiatek, at least for now.

On Saturday, Halep withdrew from the Miami Open ahead of her third-round match with Anastasija Sevastova due to a right-shoulder injury. The world No. 3 was also in the doubles draw with Angelique Kerber, after ousting defending champions Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka.

“I’m very sorry I have to pull out of singles and doubles at the Miami Open, but my injury doesn’t let me play here as I expected. I’m sad that I can’t continue,” Halep said in a statement. “I wanted to come here to give my best and play many matches but unfortunately I can’t.”

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Following her opening three-set win over Caroline Garcia, Halep disclosed her shoulder problem first surfaced during the second round of the Australian Open. In that match, she rallied from 1-5 down in a deciding set to edge Ajla Tomljanovic.

“When I came here I didn't feel pain anymore. I was really good,” she said Thursday. “But then I practiced some tough sets with other players and I started to feel again. And now it's getting a little bit worse.”

Halep and Swiatek were projected to meet in the round of 16, the very stage the two have faced off in during their first three encounters—twice at Roland Garros and most recently at Melbourne Park this season. The 15th-seeded Pole ultimately fell to Ana Konjuh, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.

The 2016 US Open quarterfinalist, who underwent four surgeries on her right elbow, began her week by posting her first WTA main draw win since 2018 when she beat Katerina Siniakova. Before ousting Swiatek, Konjuh also eliminated No. 18 seed Madison Keys. The 23-year-old is now a win away from reaching her second career quarterfinal at a 1000-level tournament.