Pegula Pulls Out of French Open, Prioritizes Recovery for Grass Season

World No. 5 Jessica Pegula announced her withdrawal from the French Open on social media, opting to focus on regaining full fitness for the upcoming grass court tournaments. This decision comes after a clay court season hampered by injuries.

Injury Disrupts Clay Season

Pegula, a 30-year-old American player, hinted at her uncertain French Open participation earlier in May. A neck injury had already derailed her clay court campaign. Her last competitive match was in the Billie Jean King Cup back in April. She also missed the Middle East swing entirely in February due to the neck issue.

Close Call, But Not Quite Ready

In an Instagram post, Pegula revealed she was nearly ready to compete. “Unfortunately pulling out of Roland Garros this year,” she wrote. “I’m just about back to practicing normal (haven’t had any issues for weeks) but played it super safe with recovery & return to play. If I had another 5-7 days I would have been there 100%.”

Eyes on the Grass

Despite missing Roland Garros, Pegula remains optimistic. “So I will definitely be back for a full grass season and the rest of the summer and grinding out the rest of the year,” she concluded in her post.

This is a blow to Pegula, who achieved a quarterfinal finish at the French Open two years ago. However, prioritizing her health puts her in a better position to contend for titles on the faster grass courts of Wimbledon and other upcoming tournaments.

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