Aryna Sabalenka confirms suspicions and withdraws from Wimbledon

Aryna Sabalenka was going to try to play at Wimbledon even with constant shoulder pain. After having to retire in her quarterfinal match at the ecotrans Ladies Open, the Belarusian was hoping her new injury would allow her to play at the grass-court major with some rest. She tried to practice on Monday but decided to withdraw from Wimbledon.

The injury is to her teres major, a muscle in the shoulder joint responsible for extending and rotating the arm. While she might have been able to play if tennis players did not serve the ball, the fact that they do - and Sabalenka does so well and her powerful serve is very important to her game - made her participation at the major moot. The question now is how long she might be out.

Due to her nationality, and tennis players from Belarus and Russia not knowing if they could play at the 2024 Summer Olympics, the games were never truly in her plans. Her next tournament could be at the Citi Open at the beginning of August. The US Open follows in September.

Aryna Sabalenka forced to withdraw from Wimbledon 2024

If rest is what it takes to help Sabalenka heal, having a month off might do the trick. According to Rehab My Patient, however, the normal recovery time is three months. The injury does not normally require surgery, but without rest, the pain is not going to subside. Three months would push Sabalenka past the US Open.

At 2023 Wimbledon, the Belarusian made the semifinals so she will lose all those points from last year. There is a chance she falls to No. 4 on the WTA tour, but she seems safe for now. The issue is that should she truly need to take three months off, her ranking could plummet.

Sabalenka started 2024 by winning the Australian Open again but has had to deal with some unexpected personal issues. Her withdrawal from Wimbledon might have her wishing it was 2025 already. If her shoulder injury does not improve soon, she might simply start preparing for next year and eschew what the rest of this year has in store.

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