2021 finalist Jennifer Brady out of Australia with foot injury

The 2022 Australian Open will take place without the 2021 women's finalist. American Jennifer Brady has withdrawn from the first Grand Slam of the season with a lingering left foot injury, which has sidelined her since August's Western & Southern Open.

The tournament confirmed her withdrawal with a post on Twitter late Saturday—Sunday morning in Australia—wishing her "a speedy recovery."

Brady surged to her first Grand Slam final at Melbourne Park in February before losing to Naomi Osaka in straight sets in the championship. Seeded No. 22, Brady didn't lose a set in the first four rounds before beating compatriot Jessica Pegula and Czech Karolina Muchova in a pair of three-setters to reach the showpiece match. Her run to the final launched her to a career-high world No. 13, but she was plagued by the foot problem in the spring and summer.

Retiring from her third round match against Coco Gauff at the French Open after the first set, Brady played just three matches at two tournaments for the rest of 2021, and also retired against Jelena Ostapenko in the second round of the Western & Southern Open with the same injury. Unable to defend a semifinal showing from the 2020 US Open in New York, Brady ended the season ranked world No. 25. She withdrew from the year's final Grand Slam on the eve of the competition, where her first round opponent was to be British qualifier Emma Raducanu, who went on to a historic run in winning the tournament. 

The 26-year-old posted a 15-10 win-loss record in 2021 overall.

Brady joins compatriot Serena Williams and world No. 4 Karolina Pliskova as top women to withdraw from the Australian Open in recent weeks. Williams, a semifinalist in 2021, withdrew on the advice of her medical team last week, while Pliskova announced her withdrawal on Friday after suffering a hand injury in preseason training.