Madrid, April 21 (IANS) Two seeded players, No. 6 Amanda Anisimova and No. 12 Ekaterina Alexandrova, have both been withdrawn from the 2026 Mutua Madrid Open due to injury. Two-time major finalist Anisimova cited a wrist injury, while Alexandrova cited a lower back injury.

Alexandrova was replaced in the draw by Maria Sakkari as the No. 33 seed, and Anisimova, who was the most threatening presence in the lower half of the women’s singles draw before the quarterfinals, was replaced by Magdalena Frech as the No. 34 seed, both with first-round byes.

Sakkari and Frech’s original first-round opponents, Janice Tjen and Katerina Siniakov, will instead face qualifiers or lucky losers to be drawn at the close of the final qualifying round, WTA reports.

Anisimova has not competed since a fourth-round loss in Miami to Belinda Bencic and subsequently withdrew from Charleston due to an unspecified injury.

Alexandrova also withdrew from Charleston due to a lower back injury. She returned to action two weeks ago, but lost her Linz opener to Karolina Pliskova and fell in the Stuttgart second round to Linda Noskova.

Other withdrawals from Madrid prior to the main draw being made include Great Britain’s Sonay Kartal, who will miss the entire clay-court swing due to a back injury; France’s Varvara Gracheva, who will also miss the entire clay-court season after tearing her ACL in practice at the end of March; Australia’s Maya Joint, due to a back injury; Emma Navarro, due to continuing illness; and Emma Raducanu and Marketa Vondrousova.

A total of 96 female players now know their roads to glory in the Caja Magica. At one of the season’s toughest tournaments, where the imposing Manolo Santana Stadium will host the final rounds, the finest WTA talent is raring to go in the Spanish capital.

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will be bidding to become the first woman to lift four titles in the Caja Magica, a feat that would make her the most decorated WTA player in the tournament’s history.

–IANS

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