Wimbledon starts in 10 days.
Elina Svitolina isn't sure she'll be in the field for the grass-court Grand Slam.
Watch: Giorgi Topples Svitolina In Birmingham
Italian qualifier and lawn demolition expert Camilia Giorgi surprised the second-seeded Svitolina, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, to reach the Birmingham quarterfinals today.
A hobbled Svitolina, who has been bothered by a leg injury, said afterward she's undecided about playing Wimbledon.
"I know it's very, very disappointed that it's happened," Svitolina told the media in Birmingham today. "I still have pain. I think I will have one week preparation for Wimbledon. But for me, you know, I don't want to endanger the end of the season.
"So that's why, I mean, it's very tough to think about Wimbledon because, you know, it can be very painful as well."
Grass tennis has not provided a panacea in the past: Svitolina has won just five Tour-level matches on grass in the last three years.
The two-time Roland Garros quarterfinalist has managed just two wins in four career appearances at The Championships. Her struggles on grass, combined with leg and foot pain, could cause Svitolina to opt out of SW19.
"It feels very painful because, you know, on the foot because I need to walk, you know, sometimes," Svitolina said. "That's like all the time I stand up on the feet, it's painful. So that's why I can't really move, and movement, actually that's what helps it a little bit better. Again, it gets tired again.
"And again, because the heel is not very sensitive, very small muscles. So that's how I know it's very disappointed. As I said, I don't want to endanger the end of the season because hard court is on the way and that's where I need to be strong as well. Yeah, it's difficult."
Svitolina leads the WTA Tour in wins this season, posting a 36-8 record with four titles. The 22-year-old baseliner said qualifying for the year-end WTA Tour Finals in Singapore remains her top priority, which could impact her Wimbledon decision.
"That's why, you know, I don't want to put in danger, as I said, the end of the year because the start of the year was amazing, and I'm on the right path to play Singapore my main goal for this year," Svitolina said. "So it's going to be a very tough decision what I'm going to do, but for the moment I will take time to think about it, to see physio and think with my team what's the best, because you know, big picture that's what I consider is in my career it's always been big like this, so I try to look at this this way."
Photo credit: Christopher Levy