Henin-Hardenne, who reached the semi-finals last year, did not play for six weeks prior to the French Open due to a virus and her lack of fitness showed as she was beaten in the second round by Tathiana Garbin.

“I am sad and disappointed to announce that I will not be able to participate in Wimbledon this year,” said Henin-Hardenne in a statement to Wimbledon tournament referee Alan Mills.

“My physicians have given me strict orders that several more weeks of rest are necessary to ensure a full recovery.

“Since the day I walked off the court after the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year, I have been looking forward to competing on the grass again.

“Unfortunately, my dream of holding the Wimbledon trophy must wait another year. I look forward to an early and complete recovery and wish all my colleagues the best of luck.”

World number two Clijsters will also not compete in SW19, with newly-crowned French Open champion Anastasia Myskina now the top seed.

Her decision was not a huge surprise because the problem also kept her out of the French Open.

“It’s healing slowly but there’s no way I would be able to give myself a chance of competing there at the level I need to be at,” she said.

The injury has been exacerbated by a cyst which has developed on the joint of her wrist.

“The injury was progressing well,” Clijsters’ coach Marc Dehous told VRT radio.

“Totally unexpectedly, a cyst emerged which was not on the previous scan. It occurs in about one case in 20. Doctors are checking now how to treat the wrist.”