Tennis-Spain's Badosa ruled out of French Open with spinal fracture

Paula Badosa will miss the French Open after suffering a stress fracture in her spine at the Italian Open last week, the former world number two said on Thursday. At the tournament in Rome I suffered a stress fracture in my spine," she said in a statement.

Paula Badosa will miss the French Open after suffering a stress fracture in her spine at the Italian Open last week, the former world number two said on Thursday. The 25-year-old Badosa, who was ranked second a year ago, has dropped to 29th amid an injury-ridden season. The Spaniard was knocked out in the quarter-finals in Rome.

"Just when everything seemed to be fine again, I received bad news just before starting a Grand Slam. At the tournament in Rome I suffered a stress fracture in my spine," she said in a statement. "It has been very hard news after such a difficult start of the season with injuries. This is going to keep me out of competition for some weeks."

Badosa also missed the Australian Open in January due to a thigh injury sustained in a tune-up tournament in Adelaide. The French Open begins on Sunday.