Simona Halep suffers from a leg injury, withdraws from the Miami Open 2022

Simona Halep has been battling a thigh ailment of late, which has forced her to withdraw from the Miami Open. Therefore, the former world No. 1, will not play Australian wild card, Daria Saville, in the second round of the tournament as planned.

Halep confirmed on Twitter on Thursday that she will miss the Miami Open and several weeks of action due to a leg issue she has been dealing with since reaching the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells last week.

"It feels like really disappointing news to share"- Simona Halep

"I had been struggling with the thigh since my semi-final in Indian Wells and hoped it would improve, but I went for an MRI last night and unfortunately it showed a tear," the 30-year-old explained.

"My body needs time to heal and as a result, I will be out of competition for three weeks. This means I have had to make the super-tough decision to pull out of Miami, Charleston and Fed Cup. While it feels like really disappointing news to share, I am keeping the confidence from my great start to the year and am motivated to do everything to be ready for the clay-court season," the Romanian concluded.

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The World No.19 will now prepare for the French Open

Halep was defeated by Iga Swiatek at Indian Wells after missing time due to a calf injury last year. Swiatek, on the other hand, went on to win the tournament, defeating Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 in the final, and is now ranked No. 2 in the world.

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Nevertheless, Halep, who is ranked No. 19 in the world and will now focus on clay-court matches ahead of the French Open, which starts on May 22. Earlier this year, she advanced to the round of 16 at the Australian Open.