Reigning Olympic singles champion Monica Puig has pulled out from Auckland and the Australian Open due to an elbow injury.
The 26-year-old player from Puerto Rico underwent surgery recently and will postpone the start of the 2020 season.
Puig is ranked world number 79 in singles and won the Olympic singles gold medal in Rio de Janeiro 2016. She reached her career high of number 26 in 2016. She reached her best result at the Australian Open in 2016 when she advanced to the third round in 2016. During the 2019 season Puig achieved her best result in Charleston, where she reached the semifinals. She aims at defending her Olympic gold medal next July in Tokyo 2020.
“I traveled to New York to have surgery on my ulnar nerve in my right elbow that bothered me for some time and gave me persistent pain. We found and find the problem”, said Puig.
Former world number 101 Kaia Kanepi will replace Puig moving into the main draw of the Australian Open. The Estonian player reached the third round at the Australian Open twice in 2009 and 2018 and the quarter finals twice in each of the three other Grand Slam tournaments (Roland Garros 2008 and 2012, Wimbledon in 2010 and 2013 and the US Open in 2010 and 2017).
