The current champion of the Australian Open and current No. 3 in the WTA ranking, the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, will not compete in the 2024 edition of Wimbledon, which began playing this Monday in London, due to a shoulder injury. It was announced by the tournament organizers.
Sabalenka, a semi-finalist last year on the London grass, will be replaced in the main draw of the tournament by the lucky loser Erika Andreeva (No. 101), who will face the American in the first round Emina Bektas (N°107).
On Sunday, on the eve of the start of the tournament, the Belarusian had already expressed her doubts about her physical condition: “I’m not one hundred percent”warned following a shoulder injury that was “very specific, really very rare” for a tennis player.
Sabalenka, 26 years old and twice finalist in the Grand Slam in London, had to abandon her participation in the Berlin tournament in the quarterfinals last week due to this same injury.
Due to her physical problems in recent months, Sabalenka announced in mid-June that she will not participate this summer in the Paris Olympic Games.
“I must take care of my health. I prefer to take a little rest to make sure I am physically prepared for the hard surface“, he argued then.
At the last Roland Garros, Sabalenka was eliminated in the quarterfinals, decimated by intestinal problems.