Egyptian tennis star Mayar Sherif was forced to exit this year’s Australian Open due to an injury.
The world number 58 bowed out in the second set of her first round game against Belgium’s Elise Mertens on Monday.
Sherif was trailing by 6-2, 2-0 before giving up on the fight and will now concentrate on recovery from injury for a timely return to the court.
The 27-year-old achieved a career-high WTA ranking in June 2023 which made her the highest ranked Egyptian player in the Open Era when she occupied the number 31 spot in the world.
Sherif’s exit leaves Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur as the only African player competing at this year’s Australian Open.
Jabeur, on Monday, cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Ukraine’s Yulia Starodubtsewa in the first round and will face Mirra Andreeva next in the second round on Thursday, January 18.
The Tunisian failed to go beyond the second round in the 2023 Australian Open and her best finish at the season-opening Grand Slam has been the quarter-final stage in 2020.
