Wimbledon champion Simona Halep said on Saturday that she will compete at the China Open in Beijing, days after retiring from the Wuhan Open with a back problem.
If fully fit, the 28-year-old Romanian will be among the favourites next week in the Chinese capital, where Serena Williams will not play because of a knee issue.
Halep, a former world number one, was forced out of the Wuhan third round on Wednesday, saying she had a muscle issue in the lower part of her back. She suffered a herniated disc in Beijing a year ago, bringing an early end to her 2018 season.
"The back is better, is getting better and I'm having treatment every day," said Halep, who plays a qualifier in her Beijing opener.
"I had two days off and today I practised. In my opinion, I can play tomorrow." "You never know with the back, every tournament starts with the back (issue) because I had problems since 2008," she added.
"So it's normal to have tough periods."
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