Former world No1 Victoria Azarenka pulled out of the French Open as she struggles to recover from a foot injury.
“Unfortunately I will not be able to compete in Roland Garros this year,” the two-time Australian Open champion, 24, wrote on her Twitter page.
“Working hard on my recovery and getting back on court,” the world No5 added.
The 24-year-old Belarus star, who normally would be a main rival to favourite Serena Williams, has not played since a second round loss to Lauren Davis at Indian Wells in the first week of March.
She missed the Madrid and Rome claycourt events in May, both crucial warm-up tournaments ahead of the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the season, which starts on May 25 and runs until June 8.
She has only played three tournaments in 2014, making the final in Brisbane, exiting in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open before her early loss in California.
Azarenka has won two Grand Slam titles – at the 2012 and 2013 Australian Opens. She lost to Maria Sharapova at the semi-finals stage in Paris last year.
“I really played well the last three years and this is perhaps my body sending me a signal telling me to take a step back,” the Belarusian told L’Equipe.
“I did a lot of treatment and tried many therapies. This is a fairly complex injury, not like when it was only a muscle problem. But I’m much better now. And this forced break has also given me the opportunity to do something else.”
