Top seed Ashleigh Barty retired injured midway through the second set of her French Open second-round match against Poland’s Magda Linette on Thursday.

The Australian, who won the title on her last visit to Roland Garros in 2019, left the court for medical treatment after losing the first set 6-1. She had struggled with a hip problem during her first-round win and called it quits at 2-2 in the second set on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Unseeded Linette will face Tunisian 25th seed Ons Jabeur in the last 32.

“It’s going to be a little bit tough this week. I think over the weekend we had a bit of a flare-up through my left hip,” she said after beating Bernarda Pera in three sets on Tuesday.

Barty also retired injured from the Italian Open during her quarter-final against Coco Gauff last month.

Fourth seed and 2020 runner-up Sofia Kenin reached the last 32 with a 7-5, 6-3 win over qualifier and fellow American Hailey Baptiste.

Kenin, beaten by Iga Swiatek in last year’s final, goes on to face American 28th seed Jessica Pegula who defeated Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3.

Fifth seed Elina Svitolina was also through to the third round, blanking Ann Li 6-0, 6-4.

The 25-year-old’s withdrawal leaves the tournament already without the world’s top three-ranked women’s players. World No 2Naomi Osaka stunned the sport by pulling out following a media boycott, saying she has suffered “bouts of depression” for three years.

Third-ranked Simona Halep, the 2018 French Open winner, withdrew before the event with injury.

That leaves world number four Aryna Sabalenka as the top remaining player in the draw, despite the Belarusian never having reached a Grand Slam quarter-final.

Results

Second round

Ons Jabeur (TUN x25) bt Astra Sharma (AUS) 6-2, 6-4

Elina Svitolina (UKR x5) bt Ann Li (USA) 6-0, 6-4

Sofia Kenin (USA x4) bt Hailey Baptiste (USA) 7-5, 6-3

Jessica Pegula (USA x28) bt Tereza Martincova (CZE) 6-3, 6-3

With AFP Inputs