Bianca Andreescu withdraws from Wimbledon

LONDON – It wasn’t a surprise, really more a matter of when.

But Canada’s top-ranked female player, Bianca Andreescu, has officially withdrawn from Wimbledon.

The world No. 25 is dealing with a shoulder issue that goes back to her breakout victory at Indian Wells in mid-March.

She got through to the round of 16 at the Miami Open immediately afterwards, beating Angelique Kerber for the second straight tournament. But the 18-year-old retired early in the second set of her match against Anett Kontaveit of Estonia there.

Andreescu rested and rehabbed the shoulder. She hoped to be healthy in time for the French Open, some two months later.

She made it. And she defeated Marie Bouzkova in a tough three-setter played over two days to advance to the second round.

But after that, due to play American Sonia Kenin, she withdrew.

No prep, no point

The Canadian pulled out of her scheduled grass-court events. Clearly it made no sense to try to play another Grand Slam without adequate preparation. And there’s no word on whether the shoulder is even fit to play.

Per her Instagram account, Andreescu is currently in Arizona.

All of that means that Genie Bouchard is the only Canadian woman entered in singles at Wimbledon – including the women’s qualifying, which begins Tuesday.

A Canadian women’s group – of two

Bouchard is not match tough. She didn’t play at all for more than two months, between a first-round loss in the Miami Open qualifying and a first-round loss at the French Open.

She returned to the tour a month later, but suffered a 6-2, 6-0 loss to France’s Fiona Ferro in the first round of qualifying at Eastbourne last Friday. Bouchard won the first eight points (two games), but was blanked by Ferro after that.

Rebecca Marino, the only Canadian who would have made it into the singles qualifying by ranking, hasn’t played since the French Open qualifying because of plantar fasciitis.

On the men’s side, Milos Raonic, Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov will be in the men’s singles draw.

Vasek Pospisil, who has been out nearly nine months after back surgery, is making his return on a protected ranking.

Peter Polansky is already eliminated, losing in the first round of qualifying Monday. Either Brayden Schnur or Steven Diez, who play each other in the second round, will make at least the final round.

Gabriela Dabrowski will be seeded in the women’s doubles, with partner Yifan Xu of China.

Leylah Annie Fernandez, who won the French Open girls’ singles title, will not be playing the Wimbledon juniors.