DOHA, February 9, 2016

World No. 6 and five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova of Russia has pulled out of the 2016 Qatar Total Open due to injury.

The 28-year-old had been among the star-studded field of players, which includes No.1-ranked Serena Williams and defending champion Lucie Safarova among others, expected to grace the courts of the impressive Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex from February 21-27, 2016.

Speaking about her withdrawal from the tournament, Sharapova said, “Unfortunately, I will not be able to play the Qatar Total Open because of my left forearm injury. I would like to wish the tournament and all the great fans in Doha a great week of tennis and I hope to see them next year.”

Sharapova is among the only three players that have won the tournaments twice. She won in 2005 and again in 2008, the eighth edition of the tournament, where she defeated fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva 6–1, 2–6, 6–0 to lift the trophy.

The Russian had pulled out of her 2016 season opener – the Brisbane International, where she was the defending champion, also due to her left forearm injury.

The Qatar Total Open was the first professional women’s tennis tournament staged in the Middle East and today it is a WTA Premier 5 event – bringing the greatest names in the sport with total prize money of $2,517,250.