Wimbledon star banks £33k for withdrawing from tournament hours before match | Tennis | Sport

World No. 44 Anastasia Potapova has withdrawn from Wimbledon hours before she was due to take to the court for her first-round match. The Russian was set to face Magdalena Frech later this afternoon but she has now pulled out and been replaced by lucky loser Victoria Mboko.

But Potapova will still pocket £33,000 without taking to the court thanks to a rule that means players who withdrew from Grand Slam tournaments before their opening match receive 50 per cent of the first-round prize money.

Potapova, whose best result here is a third-round showing in 2023, was due to play the fourth match on Court 4 against No. 25 seed Frech. But she pulled out shortly after 1pm on Tuesday afternoon.

The 24-year-old’s grass season has been derailed by injuries. She won her opening match in the qualifying event at the WTA 500 in Berlin last month, then withdrew before round two, citing a muscle tear.

Potapova also skipped last week’s Eastbourne Open but hoped to be ready to compete at Wimbledon. She was spotted training around the grounds over the weekend, but has not recovered in time.

While she won’t get to take to the courts at the hallowed All England Club this summer, the former world No.21 will still go home with a cheque for £33k without playing a match.

Per the ITF Grand Slam rulebook, a player who withdraws from the main draw singles competition prior to their first-round match can receive 50 per cent of their prize money, provided they meet certain conditions.

The withdrawal must occur after 12pm on the Tuesday before the start of the main draw, and the player must be on-site or at a referee-approved location at the time of their withdrawal and must be declared unfit to play by the tournament doctor.

Players are also only eligible to receive half of the prize cheque if they compete in a tournament within 21 days before the main draw starts. And players can only receive money for an on-site withdrawal at two Grand Slam tournaments in a calendar year

Potapova isn’t the only player to pull out and still receive some cash. Former top-10 player Hubert Hurkacz, who has been battling injuries for the last year, withdrew hours after the draw was made on Friday. The 2021 Wimbledon semi-finalist was due to play Britain’s Billy Harris.

Canadian teenager Mboko, who lost in the final round of qualifying, has replaced Potapova as a lucky loser. The world No.97 made her Grand Slam debut at the recent French Open as a qualifier and stormed into the third round.

Mboko had never played a professional match on grass until last week’s Wimbledon qualifying event.

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