Australian Open 2021: Kiki Bertens cancels due to injury
With Kiki Bertens, the world number ninth of the women will be missing from the Australian Open. As the Dutch woman announced on Instagram, she recently underwent an operation on the Achilles tendon.
by Fink / Rothschädl
last edit: Oct 27, 2020, 06:00 pm
At the French Open, Kiki Bertens had already seen that not everything was going well for the Dutch woman. Against Sara Errani, for example, the world rankings had to be taken off the field in a wheelchair after a crazy match. Now the reason for the injury seems found at Bertens. As the 28-year-old announced, the Achilles tendon has been causing problems for a long time, which is why she has now decided to undergo an operation.
It is therefore clear that Kik Bertens will miss the start of the 2021 season and will have to skip the tournaments in Australia. "I will do my best to come back stronger as soon as possible," said the Dutch woman with a photo from the hospital via Instagram. The operation, according to Bertens, is urgently needed in order to play without pain and to get the most out of the training.
The Australian Open will traditionally open the new Grand Slam season in 2021. Before that, some smaller events for women and the ATP Cup for men are planned. It is still uncertain how rigorous the entry restrictions will be for players from Europe, who are currently subject to a two-week quarantine obligation. A restriction that the Tennis Australia team around Craig Tiley would like to see relaxed.