Former Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza says she will take an extended break from tennis until the summer.
The Spanish former world number one has only played four times this year, not appearing at all since January.
The 29-year-old, who has dropped to 132nd in the world, said she will miss the clay and grass-court seasons.
“Spending time with family and friends and it’s really been healthy and amazing, so I am going to lengthen this period till summer,” Muguruza added.
She reached the top of the rankings in 2017, and was third at the end of 2021, but did not pass the quarter-finals of a tournament last year.
Muguruza won her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open in 2016 and claimed the Wimbledon title a year later.
Meanwhile, at the Charleston Open in South Carolina, former world number three Elina Svitolina fell just short of a win in her first match since giving birth to her daughter in October.
The Ukrainian, 28, lost 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 6-4 in two hours and 46 minutes to Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan but told the Tennis Channel that she was pleased with her performance.
“I had goosebumps,” she said. “It was a really, really sweet atmosphere out there. It was so nice to see many people, and they were really cheering me on to push through some tough moments.
“It was not easy physically for me today, but in the end, I’m really happy with the way I played. Now, I can see more clear what I need to improve to be better.
“I think I’m hitting the ball well. I just have to work more on my fitness. I think a few bits here and there are going to help me to keep the focus more consistently, to be there in the moment.”
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