Clara Tauson, still only 23, has spent the past few seasons fighting her way back from recurring injuries, hoping each new tournament might finally be the one where her momentum returns. Still, Tauson displayed some spectacular tennis last year against some tough opponents. Everyone expected her to shake off her disappointments at the Adelaide International, but things haven’t gone to plan.

Instead of gaining momentum, Adelaide delivered a moment of heartbreak she could never have prepared for. Her first-round match against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović began with promise. Both players traded powerful baseline exchanges, neither willing to give an inch. Tomljanovic eventually edged the opening set 7-6(5), but Tauson looked very much in the contest.

She moved well enough, struck the ball confidently, and showed flashes of the explosive shot-making that once made her one of the brightest rising stars on the Tour. But as the players readied themselves for the second set, everything changed.

Tomljanovic had just returned to the court when Clara Tauson suddenly gestured towards her leg that was bandaged up. The physio was called immediately. From the commentary box, Liz Smylie’s voice carried the concern that everyone felt: “The physio has been called to centre court, which is never a good sign.”

The camera followed Tauson as she sat talking quietly with the physio, her face shadowed with frustration and discomfort. Smylie noted, “There is some strapping on her leg that she went out with, but I never saw any kind of dramatic movement.”

Within minutes, Tauson made the decision no athlete ever wants to make. She walked to the chair umpire, shook hands, and then turned to Tomljanovic, who looked more concerned than celebratory. The match was over before the second set had even begun. Smylie summed up the mood in the arena:

“This doesn’t look too good. I think this might be it. What a disappointing way to end this first round match here … no player likes to win by default.”

Currently ranked 14th in the world, Clara Tauson has had a dreadful start to the season after losing her first match at the Brisbane International last week (against Aliaksandra Sasnovich).

In October last year, the Dane had to withdraw from her last WTA tournament of the season in Hong Kong due to an injury. Following that, she even had to withdraw her name from the BJK Cup in November.

After her withdrawal in Adelaide, concerns about her participation at the 2026 Australian Open have emerged. But what did her opponent say after ending the match against Tauson in such an unfortunate manner?

Ajla Tomljanović’s reaction to Clara Tauson’s walkover in Adelaide

The opening round of the Adelaide International was supposed to be a test of resilience, momentum, and early-season sharpness. Instead, it turned into an emotional crossroads – one that left Ajla Tomljanović advancing but not celebrating. Post-match, Tomljanović spoke with the kind of empathy that only a player with her own injury history can express.

“It’s never easy to play someone that’s a bit hampered, and the fact she couldn’t keep going tells you that something is really wrong. I feel really sorry, but I did compete really hard in the first set. We had two tough battles last year, so I knew coming in that every point would be important.”

With a strong offseason behind her, the Aussie is determined to keep her focus sharp ahead of the Australian Open. “I had a really good pre-season, and I’m just a great frame of mind. You’ve got to keep going; with any setback, I just never give up and find solutions.”

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For Clara Tauson, this retirement is a gut punch, especially considering the strides she made in 2025. Only a few months ago, she was speaking confidently about her evolution as a player. In October, during an interview with Tennis 365, Tauson reflected on landmark wins over Aryna Sabalenka (in Dubai) and Iga Swiatek at the Canadian Open.

“It obviously gives you confidence that you can play with these players and beat them as well. I always believed I could beat the top players. I have had some matches where I was 6-4 in the third set with them, and this showed I was close to what was possible. Beating players like that shows what you can do, and it also means it raises some expectations, and maybe I need to be better at managing that.”

During that same conversation, she expressed her optimism heading into 2026. Her main target is now to get into the Top 10. The injury setback, depending on severity, could temporarily derail that pursuit.

Yet Clara Tauson has shown time and again that she thrives on adversity. So, Danish fans will now be keeping their fingers crossed, for the 2026 Australian Open.