Injury crisis continues for Ajla Tomljanovic, 2 years after her famous win over Serena Williams

Ajla Tomljanovic, who famously defeated Serena Williams in the American's final WTA match, will not be in action in the starting weeks of the 2025 season. The Australian has withdrawn from two home tournaments before the year's first Slam.

Ajla Tomljanovic was set to begin her 2025 season at tournaments in Brisbane and Hobart. She had received the main draw wildcard to compete in the WTA 500 Brisbane International and WTA 250 Hobart International but was forced to withdraw from both due to a knee injury.

The 31-year-old injured her left knee in November at the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup. Representing Australia at the event, Tomljanovic lost to Rebecca Sramkova in straight sets in the quarterfinal. The team crashed out of the tournament after the loss against Slovakia.

Since the Billie Jean King Cup, Tomljanovic has been nursing a left knee injury. The recovery period has extended past initial estimates, forcing the 31-year-old to withdraw from the first few tournaments of the year.

Brisbane International will be played from December 29, 2024, to January 5, 2025, coinciding with the United Cup. Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro, and Daria Kasatkina are the top four seeds at the tournament. Meanwhile, Hobart International will be played from January 6 to 11 and will be headlined by Dayana Yastremska, Elise Mertens, Amanda Anisimova, and Magda Linette.

Ajla Tomljanovic set to appear at Australian Open 2025 via wildcard

Billie Jean King Cup Finals - Australia v Slovakia (IMAGE: Getty)

While Ajla Tomljanovic has withdrawn from two tournaments leading up to the 2025 Australian Open, she is aiming for a return to action in the first Slam of the year. Tomljanovic is one of eight women to have received a main draw wildcard for the event.

Tomljanovic is one of five Australian women in AO's 2025 singles main draw, alongside Olivia Gadecki, Daria Saville, Talia Gibson, and Maya Joint. Meanwhile, Alex de Minaur, Nick Kyrgios, Alexei Popyrin, Jordan Thompson, Christopher O'Connell, Alexander Vukic, Rinky Hijikata, Thanasi Kokkinakis, James Duckworth, Adam Walton, Tristan Schoolkate, Li Tu, James McCabe, and Omar Jasika will be the home favorites in the men's singles draw.

Interestingly, the Australian Open has yielded the least favorable results for Ajla Tomljanovic across the four Slams. Her best return in Melbourne has been a second-round exit, which she has experienced on five different occasions. At the 2024 Australian Open, Tomljanovic defeated Petra Martic in the opening round before losing to Jelena Ostapenko.