Aryna Sabalenka hopes to never repeat this problem ever again

Aryna Sabalenka has had quite the year. She started 2024 by winning the Australian Open for the second straight year and then things got far worse. Her ex-boyfriend died suddenly in March. Her only title is the one she achieved in Melbourne. She has also been injured.

Ahead of Wimbledon, the Belarusian injured her shoulder and while she tried to compete at the grass-court major, her shoulder would not allow her to do so. She was forced to take time away from the sport for more than a month. When she did return at the Citi Open, she struggled against qualifier Kamilla Rakhimova but pushed through and lost in the semifinals.

Ahead of the Canadian Open, Sabalenka spoke to the press about the layoff and the mental challenge of trying to make sure her shoulder was actually OK to play before the Citi Open. Though she only won a couple of matches in Washington, that did seem to help her prepare for her run in Toronto because she is now in the semis. She appears to be playing more pain-free as well.

Aryna Sabalenka names the one thing she never wants to happen again

Sabalenka told the media, "Yeah, that's actually, yeah, (having a 40-day layoff is) a different experience, and I really hope that I'm not going to experience that more in my career. That's been really tricky to play the first tournament, because you are overprotective, you're trying to kind of like not to overdo stuff, you are protecting your shoulder, and I think that's create(d) more tension."

Should Sabalenka make the final in Toronto, she will move ahead of Coco Gauff for the No. 2 ranking on the WTA tour. She reached No. 1 for several weeks in 2023 but lost that ranking in the year-end WTA Finals. She began 2024 at No. 2 but has been stuck at No. 3 since early June.

She might never fully overtake Iga Swiatek who is well ahead in the points race for No. 1 and likely will stay there as long as she doesn't get injured. Sabalenka hits with more consistent pace, but Swiatek has more versatility in her game. The Belarusian's main competition in terms of rankings will come against Coco Gauff who has a game similar to Sabalenka's.

Still, the hope is that all three stay healthy and Sabalenka never has to go through another month where she can't play because of an injury. She certainly never wants that to happen again.

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