Canadian tennis star Leylah Fernandez is not on the entry list that was released Friday for the upcoming Wimbledon tennis championships after she appeared to injure her foot during the quarterfinals of the French Open.
Fernandez was in visible discomfort during her match Tuesday against Italy's Martina Trevisan, and was visited by a doctor four games into the first set.
The Laval, Que., native dropped the first set 6-2 but battled back to win a thrilling tiebreak to force a decider. Trevisan jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the final set, but Fernandez still pushed to keep it close, ultimately losing 6-3.
After the match, Fernandez didn't meet with the media but was spotted on crutches. In a statement to the media through WTA Communications, Fernandez didn't provide any specifics about the injury or the timeline for her recovery.
“Today was definitely hard luck. I did feel it before the match, but I didn't think much of it. You know, it just happened and we are just going to have to learn from this,” Fernandez said.
The injury disrupts what had been a thrilling year for the young Canadian. The 19-year-old lefty burst onto the scene with an appearance in the final at the U.S. Open last September and has a 12-7 record in 2022. That record includes defending her title at The Monterrey Open on the WTA 250 tour. She is currently ranked No. 18 in the world.
Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., and Vancouver's Rebecca Marino are the two Canadians on the Wimbledon ladies' singles entry list. Eugenie Bouchard of Montreal is listed as an alternate.
American Serena Williams was also missing from the ladies' singles entry list. It's possible the seven-time Wimbledon champion could request a wild-card invitation.
The Grand Slam tournament begins June 27.
With files from The Canadian Press.
