Ash Barty’s injury nightmare ruins her French Open campaign

Ash Barty’s French Open dream has quickly turned into a nightmare after the world No. 1 succumbed to a devastating blow.

Ash Barty struggled through her first round match.

Ash Barty’s French Open dream is over after the Aussie World No. 1 had to pull out of her second round match against Polish World No. 45 Magda Linette in the second set.

Barty, who won the French Open title last time she played the tournament in 2019, had far from the easiest first round match against Bernarda Pera, going three sets while being hampered by a hip injury.

But she made it through the match and hoped to be able to improve the longer she played.

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She admitted she was “not 100 per cent” after picking up a left hip injury during the Australian summer of tennis.

Barty needed a medical timeout between the second and third sets in her 6-4 3-6 6-2 win over Pera, with some even accusing Barty of faking the injury.

But there was no doubt the Aussie was severely affected by the injury against Linette, who played the match perfectly, running Barty around the court to claim the first set 6-1 before the Aussie pulled the pin at 2-2 in the second.

Barty was far from comfortable.

Barty appeared to struggle most on serve while social media was immediately concerned by the sight of Barty hobbling around.

Ash Barty struggling mightily early on in her R2 clash with Magda Linette.

Down a break early in first set and clearly not close to 100%. Limited movement + serve.

Battling on, as she always does.#RolandGarros

— Sam Phillips (@samphillips06) June 3, 2021

Early days in this match but not looking good for world No. 1 Ash Barty, who is clearly physically hampered. Down 4-1 to Poland's Magda Linette.

— George Bellshaw (@BellshawGeorge) June 3, 2021

After Linette ran away with the first set, Barty required a second medical timeout in as many matches. The physio and doctor came out on court before the world No. 1 had to go off for treatment.

Linette had done exactly what she needed to do, pushing Barty around the court and exploiting the injury concern.

Barty did come back from the MTO but was still not moving freely. At 2-2 in the second set, she could play no more, informing the umpire she was pulling out of the tournament.

After the match, Barty revealed the injury flare up came after “landing on serve one day, and that’s all she wrote”.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Barty said in her press conference. “We have had such a brilliant clay-court season, and to get a little bit unlucky with timing more than anything, to have something acute happen over the weekend and run out of time against the clock is disappointing. It won’t take away the brilliant three months that we have had, as much as it hurts right now.”

World reacts to Barty retirement

Ash Barty didn’t seem right.

Barty had been in red hot form this season, winning the Stuttgart Open, making the final of the Madrid Open and pulling out in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open with an arm injury despite being well ahead against Coco Gauff.

But her hip injury flared up in the first round with Barty admitting she was not fully fit.

“It’s going to be a little bit tough this week. I think over the weekend we had a bit of a flare-up through my left hip, which obviously just needed a bit of help today,” she said after Tuesday’s match.

“I’m not going to hide behind the fact I’m not quite 100 per cent but I can guarantee that I will go out there with the right attitude every day and be really accepting of that and give it a crack no matter what.”

As Barty shook hands with Linette, commentator Todd Woodbridge said: “What a disappointment for Ash and all her fans.”

It’s not the way Linette would want to win either.

The outpouring of disappointment was immediate as fans took to social media.

Not a shock given her last 48 hours but Ashleigh Barty - top seed and kinda defending champ - retires from her @rolandgarros
second round against Magda Linette. Whatever is Aussie for "bummer" this is it....

— Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) June 3, 2021

Ashleigh Barty's #RolandGarros campaign/title defense ends in retirement, trailing Magda Linette 1-6, 2-2.

Undoubtedly the wisest thing to do for Ash but absolutely gutting to be honest.

Please be healthy for grass 🙏🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/z2pbPcfMDF

— The Tennis Podcast (@TennisPodcast) June 3, 2021

What a disappointment for Ash Barty

— D'Arcy Maine (@darcymaine_espn) June 3, 2021

Some credit there to top seed Barty for not calling on the physio until the end of the first set. Gave it a proper go. https://t.co/8MvsbLfK6q

— Mike Dickson (@Mike_Dickson_DM) June 3, 2021

Watching Ash Barty being forced to retire due to injury in the second round of #RolandGarros is not how I wanted to spend my Thursday night. pic.twitter.com/6Hh7QctyaJ

— Hayley Wildes (@wildes_hayley) June 3, 2021

The result leaves just six of the top 13 WTA ranked players left in the tournament.

With Wimbledon starting in just over three weeks on June 28, question marks remain over whether Barty will be fit enough to play the year’s next grand slam on grass.

Linette will face Ons Jabeur in the third round after she dispatched Aussie Astra Sharma in straight sets.