Aryna Sabalenka blows hole in Wimbledon draw after pulling out

Simon Cambers at Wimbledon
<span>Aryna Sabalenka said she pulled out after her team told her ‘playing would make only make things much worse’.</span><span>Photograph: Isabel Infantes/Reuters</span>
Aryna Sabalenka said she pulled out after her team told her ‘playing would make only make things much worse’.Photograph: Isabel Infantes/Reuters

Aryna Sabalenka, one of the favourites for the women’s title at Wimbledon this year, blew a hole in the draw when she withdrew due to a shoulder injury. The Belarusian, who won her second grand slam title at the Australian Open, practised at the All England Club on Monday morning but stopped her session abruptly and announced her withdrawal shortly afterwards.

“I tried everything to get myself ready but unfortunately my shoulder is not co-operating,” she said on Instagram. “I pushed myself to the limit in practice today to try my best but my team explained that playing would make only make things much worse.”

Related: Wimbledon 2024: Alcaraz beats Lajal, Zarazua v Raducanu, Sabalenka out with injury – live

After pulling out of a warm-up event in Berlin, Sabalenka had been unusually candid on Saturday, saying there was a chance she would not make her first-round match, against the American Emina Bektas. The 26-year-old, a semi-finalist in her past two appearances here, said the injury was to her teres major muscle, which caused her pain when serving.

“It’s really frustrating,” she said on Saturday. “I never dealt with serious injuries in my career. The struggles I’m going through right now, that’s a lot. I’ve been fighting through a lot of different pains. Whatever pain, I’m going to tell you that I had it.

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“It’s really frustrating. It’s always in my head. I’m always hoping for the best. I’m always thinking what should I do to get back on track. That’s a lot of mental work. That’s really tough.”

Seeded No 3, Sabalenka had been expected to play Coco Gauff, the No 2 seed, in the semi-finals but her withdrawal offers a golden opportunity to those in her section of the draw to make a big run. Sabalenka was replaced in the draw by Erika Andreeva of Russia, the older sister of 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, the No 24 seed.

The Belarusian is not expected to return to the Tour until after the Olympics, having already decided to skip the Paris Games in order to prioritise her health.

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