World No.9 pulls out of Wimbledon 17 days early after suffering horror fall

Victoria Mboko has pulled out of Wimbledon after suffering a nightmare injury at Queen's Club earlier this week. The teenager from Canada, who is currently ranked ninth by the WTA, suffered a horrific fall on the grass during her match against Karolina Pliskova. She was ultimately forced to retire and was heard saying that she was scared to put pressure on her leg.

Mboko was also playing doubles alongside Serena Williams, with her injury bringing a premature end to the latter's comeback tour. It has now been revealed that Mboko won't be returning to the court at Wimbledon, having withdrawn from the tournament. An official entry list update stated that she was dealing with an ongoing left knee injury. Czech player Darja Vidmanova has replaced her in the main draw.

Williams has already sent her well-wishes to Mboko on social media, writing: "You're an incredible talent and you'll be back out there in no time. Wishing you a speedy recovery."

Mboko was visibly upset following her injury, which effectively forced her into the splits, and could be overheard telling physios that there was 'no stability' in her knee.

It remains to be seen how long she will be sidelined for but the 19-year-old will be hoping to make a swift recovery, provided the injury is not too serious.

Williams, meanwhile, is yet to rule out playing at Wimbledon, where she won seven singles titles and six doubles titles alongside her sister, Venus.

The wildcard committee will certainly be aware of the buzz generated by Williams' surprise decision to return to tennis. They are expected to announce their decision next week.

All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) chief Sally Bolton was recently quizzed on the prospect of the 44-year-old being handed a wildcard for this year's Grand Slam.

Bolton replied: "I can't answer that question, but I guess what I can say is we can all see how much excitement Serena being back on a tennis court and particularly on a grass court has created.

"One can only imagine what that would be like at the championships. The wildcard committee will formally make their decisions next week and we'll be communicating those, but she has certainly created a fantastic buzz and that's exciting for the sport."

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