World number one Iga Swiatek has withdrawn from the Madrid Open with a shoulder injury.
On Saturday, the Polish 20-year-old won her fourth consecutive title at the Stuttgart Open.
She was due to start her Madrid campaign on Thursday but said: “My body needs a rest.”
Swiatek has confirmed she is hoping to play at the Italian Open in May followed by the French Open, where she is the favourite for the title.
“After an intense few weeks and winning four titles in a row, it’s time to take care of my arm that has been fatigued since the Miami Open and I haven’t had the chance to handle it properly,” she explained on Twitter.
“I need a break from playing so intensively in order to treat my arm well.”
Later, speaking to reporters in Madrid, she added: “It’s not like we have some drama because everything is OK.
“We just thought that this is the best decision for me to recover properly because I didn’t really have time to recover after all these tournaments.
“Right now I feel like this is the best decision for us to get ready for Rome and have the peak of my form in Roland Garros.”
Swiatek is aiming for her second Grand Slam title in Paris, having previously won in Roland Garros in 2020.
She became world number one last month following the retirement of Australian Ashleigh Barty and is currently on a 23-match winning run.
