Defending champion Simona Halep has been forced to withdraw from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships due to injury.
Halep, who defeated Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to win the title last year, had been nursing a lower-back problem ahead of last month's Australian Open.
The Romanian managed to play through any pain she was suffering and reached the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park before losing to Serena Williams in straight sets.
But now Halep, who was due to due to compete in Dubai for the eighth time, has decided to give the issue a chance to recover and will not be appearing at the tournament that begins on Sunday.
“Unfortunately, I am not feeling 100 per cent in my lower back, and I have made the tough decision to withdraw from the 2021 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships," she said in a statement.
"I have great memories from winning my 20th WTA title after some really tough matches in Dubai last year so I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to defend my title.
"Wishing the DDF team and everyone involved a successful tournament and I can’t wait to be back next year.”
On Tuesday, organisers announced that French Open champion Iga Swiatek would be competing for the first time at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The 19-year-old overcame 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-1 in the final to become the first player, male or female, from Poland to win a Grand Slam.
Swiatek defeated then world No 2 Halep along the way to become only the second unseeded player to win the title at Roland Garros.
