Shoulder injury forces Aryna Sabalenka to withdraw as No. 3 seed at Wimbledon

Aryna Sabalenka, a professional tennis player, was photographed practicing her backhand at The Championships Wimbledon 2024 in London, England. Unfortunately, Sabalenka had to withdraw from the tournament due to an injured shoulder. The No. 3 seed was set to face off against Emina Bektas of the United States in the first round. She had been dealing with shoulder pain since pulling out of the Berlin Ladies Open quarterfinals a week prior.

Expressing her disappointment, Sabalenka took to Instagram to share the news with her fans. She mentioned that despite trying everything to recover and be ready for Wimbledon, her shoulder had not improved. Sabalenka acknowledged the significance of the tournament to her and promised to come back stronger the following year. This was a setback for Sabalenka, who had reached the semifinals in her last two Wimbledon appearances.

Sabalenka described the injury as frustrating, as she was able to practice but struggled with serving due to the pain. She and her team had conducted various tests, including an MRI, and tried rehab and treatments without success. She expressed determination to return to training but noted that serving was still problematic. As a result of her withdrawal, Erika Andreeva of Russia, who lost in the final round of qualifications, will take Sabalenka’s place in the tournament.