Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 3-ranked player in the world, was forced to withdraw from the women's draw at Wimbledon on Monday with a shoulder injury. Sabalenka, 26, reached the semifinals at Wimbledon before losing to Ons Jabeur despite holding a one-set lead in the match. The native of Belarus, who resides in Miami, rebounded to win the U.S. Open to close out 2023 and won the Australian Open in the first major this season. In the Wimbledon draw as a No. 3 seed, Sabalenka was set to face Emina Bektas in the first round before concluding that she could end up making the shoulder injury even worse. "Heartbroken to have to tell you all that I won't be able to play The Championships this year," Sabalenka said on X, while adding a heart emoji to the end of the post. "I tried everything to get myself ready but unfortunately my shoulder is not cooperating. This tournament means so much to me and I promise I'll be back stronger than ever next year." Sabalenka has been struggling with shoulder discomfort for a month. She had a lower back injury earlier this season. Sabalenka's replacement in the tournament, Erika Andreeva, opened with a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3 victory over Bektas. --Field Level Media
Jun 5, 2024; Paris, France; Aryna Sabalenka during her match against Mirra Andreeva on day 11 of Roland Garros at Stade Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports