Justine Henin will miss the US Open after suffering elbow ligament damage in her fourth-round defeat by fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters at Wimbledon.
The 28-year-old fell in the first set of the match on Monday but battled on before losing in three sets.
Henin said she had suffered a "partial ligament fracture at the right elbow".
The seven-time grand slam champion will also miss her 'Best of Belgium' game with Clijsters on 8 July, which was set to attract tennis's biggest ever crowd.
About 40,000 fans had been due to watch the clash in Brussels and tournament organisers will now try to find a replacement player to take on Clijsters.
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Henin said she has undergone several medical examinations since Monday which have revealed the full extent of her injury.
"Therefore I regret to announce that I can't, unfortunately, play in the Best of Belgium. I'll nevertheless be present for this wonderful event, which is important for me," she said.
"This injury will keep me away from the courts for roughly two months, with the consequence that I have to withdraw from my US round of tournaments, including the US Open.
"In four weeks, I'll take complementary medical examinations that will give me certainty about the end of this season."
Henin resumed her career this year after 18 months in retirement and was looking to win Wimbledon to complete a full set of grand slam titles, having won the other three major tournaments during her career.
The Belgian won the French Open for the first time in 2003 and followed up with consecutive wins in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
She also won the Australian Open in 2004 and the US Open in 2003 and 2007.
The 2010 US Open begins on 30 August in New York, where Clijsters will be defending her title after memorably winning on her return to tennis from her own retirement last year.
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