(Reuters) – World number three Ons Jabeur has pulled out of WTA tournaments in Doha and Dubai later this month after opting to have minor surgery, the 28-year-old said on Wednesday.
“In order to take care of my health situation. My medical team have decided that I need to get a minor surgery in order to be able to be back on the courts and perform well,” Jabeur, last year’s Wimbledon and U.S. Open runner-up, said on Instagram.
She did not give any detail about the operation or why it was required.
“I will have to retire from Doha and Dubai and this is breaking my heart. I would like to say sorry to all the fans out there in the Middle East that waited for this reunion. I promise I will come back to you stronger and healthy.”
The Qatar Open was scheduled to be held from Feb. 13-18 with the Dubai Duty Free Championships taking place the next week.
Jabeur crashed out of the second round of the Australian Open last month after an error-strewn display in a 6-1 5-7 6-1 loss to former French Open finalist Marketa Vondrousova and collapsed in tears after leaving the court.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Robert Birsel)
