Sabalenka Forced to Withdraw from Wimbledon Due to Shoulder Injury
On Monday, third seed Aryna Sabalenka was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon due to a persistent shoulder injury. The Belarusian tennis star, 26, had previously retired from a match at the Berlin Open last week, and despite her best efforts, she was unable to recover in time for the prestigious Grand Slam tournament.
Sabalenka, the reigning Australian Open champion, was scheduled to face American Emina Bektas in the second match on Court One on the opening day of Wimbledon. However, after practicing at Aorangi Park earlier in the day, she left the court after just 15 minutes, visibly in pain.
“I tried everything to get myself ready but unfortunately my shoulder is not cooperating. I pushed myself to the limit in practice today to try my best, but my team explained that playing would only make things much worse.”
As a result of Sabalenka’s withdrawal, Russian Erika Andreeva, who lost to Britain’s Sonay Kartal in the final round of qualifying, will enter the tournament as a lucky loser.
This news is a significant setback for Sabalenka, who was aiming to build on her recent Australian Open triumph and make a deep run at Wimbledon. Her withdrawal is a reminder of the physical toll that professional tennis can take on athletes, and it will be fascinating to see how she recovers from this injury and looks to regain her form in the upcoming tournaments.
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