Third seed Aryna Sabalenka (26) withdrew from Wimbledon shortly before her opening match due to a shoulder injury, organizers said, leaving the women’s draw without a major title contender.
The Belarusian, who was supposed to face American Emina Bektas, was replaced in the draw by Russian lucky loser Erika Andreeva.
“I did everything I could to be ready, but unfortunately my shoulder is not cooperating”, Sabalenka said on Instagram.
“Today I pushed myself to the limit in training to do my best, but my team explained to me that playing would only make the situation worse,” he added.
“This tournament means a lot to me and I promise that next year I will come back stronger than ever.”
Sabalenka, who has suffered a back injury this year and fell ill at Roland Garros during her quarter-final loss to 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, had the same problem at last month’s Berlin Open.
The Australian Open champion said on Saturday that she was not yet 100 percent ready for her third Grand Slam of the year.
Since winning her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 2023, Sabalenka has established herself as one of the most consistent players at major tournaments.
Last year he reached the semi-finals of Roland Garros and Wimbledon, as well as the final of the US Open, and began 2024 by defending his Melbourne crown.
