A new tennis season is once again underway, bringing with it great excitement and anticipation.  The opening tournaments sported stellar fields with competitors aiming to hone their games heading into the Australian Open.  For fans of the WTA, however, the first week of 2016 has been underwhelming to say the least.  They are used to a handful of high-profile upsets as players look to shake off the rust, but fans are not accustomed to a rash of injury withdrawals more typically seen later in the year.  Unfortunately, it is the latter that has been making headlines this week after five of the top six women pulled out of events, citing injury or illness.  It leaves the landscape heading into the year's first major murky indeed.

To some extent, a little perspective is necessary.  As German Andrea Petkovic noted when questioned about the unusually high number of withdrawals, it may merely be a coincidence.  Petra Kvitova's illness in China could easily be chalked up to bad luck, and the fact that players are apt to be extra cautious with the Australian Open so close at hand has to be taken into consideration as well.  Certainly Serena Williams brushed off concerns that a knee inflammation would hamper her efforts to defend her title in Melbourne, while Maria Sharapova did much the same regarding soreness in her left arm.  Garbiñe Muguruza and Simona Halep sounded more troubled about their respective foot and Achilles injuries, but neither has yet pulled the plug on her appearance in Melbourne.

While the final impact of the illness and these injuries may prove to be relatively insignificant, there is no denying that they are currently a source of frustration for these women and could influence their play in the weeks to come.  Of the four hampered by injury, Williams and Sharapova are the two least likely to allow these setbacks to prove stumbling blocks in their Australian Open campaigns.  Granted, after Roberta Vinci simultaneously ended Williams's Grand Slam bid and 2015 season in devastating fashion, the American probably would have liked to get a few early match wins under her belt.  And Sharapova, who missed the majority of the back half of last year with injury, will be disappointed at not having the chance to build on the small bit of momentum she garnered with her run to the semifinals of the 2015 WTA Finals.  But these are two seasoned veterans.  They have successfully overcome these kinds of injuries in the past.  They know what it takes to win a major, and more importantly, they know how to win a major even when not at their best.  They may arrive in Melbourne more vulnerable than usual, but they will still both be solid favorites.

More troubling than the injuries to Williams and Sharapova, though, are those suffered by Muguruza and Halep.  The Spaniard stated her foot issue is nothing new and something she dealt with for the majority of last season.  That the pain in the foot is getting worse, however, is a worrying sign for Muguruza.  Additionally, she is one of the promising up-and-comers on tour and is now having to get used to being in the spotlight.  Increased expectations alone are enough to hinder a player's efforts to produce her best tennis, but couple that with an injury distraction and a lack of match preparation prior to a major, and you have a potential recipe for disaster. 

Halep finds herself in a similar position.  She has had the chance to adjust to her new status in the game and put together a very respectable 2015 as a result.  That said, Halep has yet to earn herself a major title and is apt to be more rattled by her preparations being cut short than someone like Williams or Sharapova.  Furthermore, as one of the physically smaller players on tour, who is unable to regularly generate winners at will, the Romanian must rely more on her movement and consistency.  Because of that, any injury, but especially one to her legs or feet, is bound to prove a bigger hurdle for her than some of the sport's more powerful ball strikers. 

As is often the case, it is time that is needed to see how things will develop.  Only the players know how truly serious their respective injuries are, and it will be up to each of them to prove whether or not they can successfully rise to the early challenges that they pose.  All told, it has been a strange start to 2016, but one that also has things looking a lot more interesting heading into the Australian Open.