28 October 2020

World No 9 Kiki Bertens to miss start of 2021 season, including Australian Open, due to injury

Dutch tennis star Kiki Bertens is set to miss the start of the 2021 season after having surgery on her Achilles tendon.

The 28 year-old will not compete in the Australian Open and WTA’s Adelaide International in January.

The world No 9 has been suffering with injury throughout the 2020 season after she was forced to pull out of both the Adelaide International and the Australian Open doubles competition due to a flare-up. 

But she was able to compete a month later when she defended her title at the St. Petersburg Open, marking her tenth WTA singles win.

However she continued to struggle and had to pull out of the opening match at the Internationaux de Strasbourg in September. 

On Instagram, she wrote: "Some of you might know that I already had an Achilles injury for some time. The only possibility for me to play without pain again and get the maximum out of trainings and matches was to get a surgery. So that’s what I did now! 

“I will miss the start of 2021, so unfortunately I won’t be competing in Australia. I will try my best to come back stronger as fast as I can.”

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