Romanian Halep, who beat Serena Williams in the final in
2019, tore her left calf muscle in Rome last month and was forced to miss the
French Open.
She travelled to London earlier this week but announced her
withdrawal minutes before the draw for the championships, which return on
Monday after they were cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"I can honestly say that I'm really down and upset
about having to take this decision," said the world number three.
"This period has been difficult but to miss the last two Majors has made
it even more challenging mentally and physically."
Halep's withdrawal follows that of four-time Grand Slam
champion Naomi Osaka, who pulled out of the French Open after citing struggles
with depression and anxiety.
World number one Ashleigh Barty, who was forced to retire
from her second-round match at Roland Garros with a hip injury, opens her
campaign against Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro, who is playing her final
Wimbledon before retirement after recovering from cancer.
French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova takes on Dane Clara
Tauson, with the Czech star bidding to win the one Grand Slam singles title her
late former coach and idol Jana Novotna won, in 1998.
Serena Williams is seeking to equal Margaret Court's Grand
Slam record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles after missing out on equalling the
mark on multiple occasions in recent years.
The 39-year-old American, seeded sixth, takes on Aliaksandra
Sasnovich in the first round and could play German Angelique Kerber, to whom
she lost in the 2018 final, in the third round.
Djokovic eyes No. 20
The men's draw is also missing some big names, with two-time
winner Rafael Nadal and US Open champion Dominic Thiem also absent.
Eight-time winner Roger Federer, beaten in the 2019 final by
Djokovic, and two-time champion Andy Murray are in the draw but there are
fitness doubts over both players.
World number one Djokovic arrives at the All England Club
after winning his 19th Grand Slam at Roland Garros and will first face
19-year-old Draper.
One more major for the 34-year-old Serbian, who has won
Wimbledon five times, would pull him level with Federer and Nadal.
Federer, who is set to play experienced French campaigner
Adrian Mannarino in the first round, is seeded sixth this year but has avoided
Djokovic's half of the draw.
The Swiss master looks vulnerable after losing in the second
round of Halle, his traditional Wimbledon warm-up tournament, which he has won
10 times.
Britain's Murray, who only returned to singles play last
week at Queen's after a three-month hiatus, will play 24th seed Nikoloz
Basilashvili of Georgia. -AFP.
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