Injured Azarenka out of French Open

Victoria Azarenka AP FILE PHOTO

PARIS — Former world number one Victoria Azarenka pulled out of the French Open on Monday as she struggles to recover from a foot injury.

“Unfortunately I will not be able to compete in Roland Garros this year,” the two-time Australian Open champion, 24, wrote on her Twitter page.

“Working hard on my recovery and getting back on court,” the world number five added.

The 24-year-old Belarus star, who normally would be a main rival to favorite Serena Williams, has not played since a second round loss to Lauren Davis at Indian Wells in the first week of March.

She missed the Madrid and Rome claycourt events in May, both crucial warm-up tournaments ahead of the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the season, which starts on May 25 and runs until June 8.

She has only played three tournaments in 2014, making the final in Brisbane, exiting in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open before her early loss in California.

Azarenka has won two Grand Slam titles – at the 2012 and 2013 Australian Opens. She lost to Maria Sharapova at the semi-finals stage in Paris last year.

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