David Goffin to miss Wimbledon after unlucky grass court slip in Halle

David Goffin has run into some more bad luck—quite literally. The 30-year-old Belgian slipped and hurt his ankle in his opening-round match this week at Halle, and has now been forced to withdraw from Wimbledon.

Goffin had won the first set 6-1 but experienced the injury in the second set and had to retire before completing the encounter. "I'll have to have some tests to know exactly what has happened," he told Belgian press.

It was the first match of the event on Halle's stadium court, and new grasscourts are frequently slippery underfoot.

Goffin has not said exactly what the injury is but his team confirmed he was withdrawing with an ankle problem, adding, "We do not know the exact duration of his layoff."

The former No 7, currently ranked No. 13, has experienced other injuries on court in recent years. In 2017, he caught his foot in the tarp on the stadium court at the French Open and had to retire from the event, subsequently withdrawing from Wimbledon. In 2018, he was hit in the eye and injured by a ball deflecting off his racquet at Rotterdam.

Goffin joined the more high-profile withdrawals of Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka, who also announced they were not playing the Championships.