MELBOURNE: Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova pulled out of the Australian Open Monday after failing to recover from an injury she sustained at the Adelaide International.

The Czech player only returned to action this year after six months on the sidelines following shoulder surgery, which saw her slip to 38 in the world.

“Heartbroken to withdraw from the Australian Open due to an injury I sustained in Adelaide,“ the former world number six, who won Wimbledon in 2023, said on Instagram.

“I was looking forward to the tournament but health comes first.”

She was due to play Croatia's Jana Fett in the first round with a lucky loser to take Vondrousova's place.

Vondrousova did not say what her new injury setback was, but she left the court in Adelaide while playing Diana Shnaider for what appeared to be a back issue.