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Karolina Pliskova has withdrawn from the 2023 Madrid Open due to an injury she sustained during the Stuttgart Open.
Pliskova entered the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix unseeded. She defeated eighth seed Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 in the first round. The impressive performance secured her spot in the Round of 16, where she beat Donna Vekic in a thrilling match that ended 6-2, 7-6(5), 7-5.
Despite her impressive run, the 31-year-old's journey at the 2023 Stuttgart Open came to an end in the quarter-finals, where she faced off against the defending champion Iga Swiatek. Pliskova put up a valiant effort, but ultimately fell to Swiatek in a hard-fought match that ended 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
On Sunday, April 23, Karolina Pliskova took to Twitter to announce her withdrawal from the 2023 Madrid Open. She cited a knee injury she sustained while playing in Stuttgart as the reason for her absence. However, she expressed her hope of being fully fit and ready to compete in the upcoming Italian Open.
"So sorry I have to announce my withdrawal from @MutuaMadridOpen. During my last match in Stuttgart I injured my knee. I will try my best to be ready for Rome. Thank you for your support. See you soon on the court. Cheers," Pliskova tweeted.
"Wimbledon is a tournament where you can close your eyes and win it" - Karolina Pliskova
Karolina Pliskova secured her spot in the last 16 of the 2023 Stuttgart Open after defeating eighth seed Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 in just one hour and 11 minutes.
Following the victory, Pliskova spoke at a press conference where she expressed that the grass-court Major is a tournament where players can emerge victorious by playing their shots with confidence, even with their eyes closed.
According to the former World No. 1, Wimbledon tends to favor aggressive players like Elena Rybakina, who claimed the title in 2022.
"I feel like there is not enough time to really like find the timing. I think sometimes can be lucky. Sometimes you just, of course, like Wimbledon is a tournament where you can play, you can close your eyes and you can, I mean, win it," Karolina Pliskova said.
"You know, not like Rybakina would do it, but for players like this, which are playing aggressive, I think that's the tournament where she can have really good two weeks and she can easily win it," she added.
