(Tennis news) The Billie Jean King Cup finals in November of last year were the last time the former World No. 32 was in play. She was supposed to compete in the 2023 United Cup, but a knee injury prevented her from playing in the tournament’s opening game. A few days later, the Australian was scheduled to face Paula Badosa of Spain, but she pulled herself out of the match once more owing to an injury.

Then, because to her ongoing knee issue, the World No. 59 withdrew from the Australian Open. Despite being scheduled to return to the tour in the Roland Garros, she regrettably withdrew from the Paris Major as well after not recovering in time.

Ajla Tomljanovic announced her exit from the grass-court Grand Slam on social media on Monday, June 26. She admitted that she has still not fully recovered from the injury that cruelly forced her to miss more than six months of Wimbledon fun. 

“After experiencing many special emotions and memories in Wimbledon over the last few years I had very high hopes of making my return there this year. Unfortunately, my knee is still asking for just a bit more time before I can have full confidence in it in order to play at my best level,” the Australian wrote.

The quarterfinalist at the 2022 US Open emphasised her intention to return to the tour quickly, particularly for the Wimbledon Championships. 

“Really eager to get back out there but this year Wimbledon came a bit sooner than I was ready for. I know it will be worth the wait and am already looking forward to next year,” she added.

Ajla Tomljanovic has twice advanced to the Wimbledon quarterfinals over the course of her career. The Australian lost in the first round in her 2013 main draw debut. The 30-year-old won her first match at Wimbledon in 2015, but she was only able to get to the second round of the Major.

After a spate of defeats, Tomljanovic made it all the way to the 2021 campaign’s quarterfinals. Tomljanovic defeated Emma Raducanu and Jelena Ostapenko on her way to a matchup with Ashleigh Barty, which she ultimately lost. In 2022, Ajla Tomljanovic made it to her second consecutive quarterfinal but lost to the eventual champion Elena Rybakina.

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