By W. G. S. D. Wijesinghe, Jadetimes news
On Monday, Aryna Sabalenka, a top contender and two-time Australian Open champion, withdrew from Wimbledon due to a shoulder injury. Seeded third at the All England Club, Sabalenka was set to face Emina Bektas of the United States in the first round.
Sabalenka expressed her disappointment on social media, stating, “Heartbroken to have to tell you all that I won’t be able to play The Championships this year. I tried everything to get myself ready but unfortunately my shoulder is not cooperating.” She added that despite her efforts during practice, her team advised against playing to avoid further injury. Sabalenka assured fans of her determination to return stronger next year.
Highly favored by sportsbooks to win the women’s championship, Sabalenka was a semifinalist in her last two appearances at Wimbledon. Her spot in the draw was taken by Erika Andreeva, who had recently lost in the qualifying rounds.
Sabalenka’s shoulder issues began more than a week ago when she withdrew during the first set of her Berlin Ladies Open quarterfinal, citing muscle pain. She described the injury as frustrating, noting that while she could practice groundstrokes and lift weights without issue, serving caused significant pain. Despite extensive rehab and treatments, the injury persisted.
On Saturday, Sabalenka acknowledged the possibility of withdrawing from Wimbledon but remained hopeful. “As someone who has fought through various pains in the past months, I still have my hopes,” she said.
The 26 year old from Belarus, who briefly held the No. 1 spot in the WTA rankings last season and is currently ranked No. 3, is known for her powerful game, particularly her serve and forehand. This style is well suited to faster surfaces like the Australian Open’s hard courts, where she won titles in 2023 and earlier this year, and Wimbledon’s grass courts. Sabalenka reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2021 and 2023 but was unable to compete in 2022 due to a ban on Russian and Belarusian players following the invasion of Ukraine.
In addition to Sabalenka, other players also withdrew from Wimbledon as the tournament began. No. 22 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova pulled out due to illness, just hours before her scheduled match against 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu.