Alizé Cornet, who injured her knee Thursday during her second round singles match at Wimbledon, withdrew Friday for the doubles event where she was engaged with Hungarian Panna Udvardy, organizers announced. For what she revealed to be her last Wimbledon, the 33-year-old Niçoise collapsed on the grass of Center Court Thursday in the second set against defending champion Elena Rybakina, victim of a sprained right knee and maybe from a hip injury. She finished the match but lost 6-2, 7-6 (7/2).
“I was in pain and I was also scared because I heard a crack in my hip. I didn’t even think a noise like that could exist. I thought my leg was going to come apart. And when I’m on the ground, suddenly I also feel the knee,” she explained at a press conference. She then told RMC that she had just played her sixteenth and last Wimbledon.
“I’m leaving on a sprain (…) It’s a shame that it ends like that. I gave everything until I hurt myself (…) I would have loved it to last longer”, she said, stressing that we would “surely not” see her again at Wimbledon. After his loss in the second round of the Australian Open 2021, Cornet had spoken about his upcoming retirement. Without setting a date, she then assured that she “would not go until Paris 2024”.
