Simona Halep

World No.6 Simona Halep has decided to withdraw from the Western & Southern Open due to a right thigh injury on Wednesday.Halep was set to face Veronika Kudermetova in the second round.Kudermetova received a walkover into the Round of 16 and will face either Paula Badosa or Ajla Tomljanovic.The World No.6 Halep captured her major title in two years last week at the National Bank Open in Toronto, Canada. The win brought Halep back into the Top 10 for the first time in a year. She beat Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia in a thrilling three-set final, winning 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.With the US Open less than two weeks away, Halep's leg problem is one of a number of injury clouds affecting players as they head to the final Grand Slam of the season.Earlier, Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova were also forced to withdraw from Cincinnati Masters due to ankle injuries.

Elena Rybakina became the first player from Kazakhstan to reach a major final after defeating 2019 champion Simona Halep of Romania in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 at Wimbledon on Thursday.

In Thursday's semifinals, she'll face No 17 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, who rallied for a three-set win over Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic.

Halep beat Zhang Shuai 6-2 6-3 and Badosa defeated Veronika Kudermetova 6-3 6-0

Williams beat Halep 6-3, 6-3 Tuesday to return to the final four at Melbourne Park for the first time since she won the tournament in 2017

The 27-year-old Romanian captured her second career major with a 6-2, 6-2 victory adding a maiden Wimbledon

Halep zipped past Williams in straight sets with the final score reading 6-2, 6-2

Halep, a sensitive soul who has sacrificed plenty for her craft, surely grasps this by now. Tennis at this level is not about paying dues and reaping the rewards