World No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion and one of the favorites to win Wimbledon, withdrew from the tournament on July 1, 2024 due to a nagging shoulder injury. The injury had been affecting her serving ability since last month's Berlin Open.
Sabalenka made it clear during a press conference on Saturday that she was not at full health. She admitted to having difficulty getting her serve to fire despite not feeling heavily hampered in other areas of her game.
Despite pushing herself in practice, Sabalenka's team advised against playing due to the risk of making the injury worse. The 26-year-old was replaced in the draw by Erika Andreeva, who will now face Emina Bektas in the first round instead of Sabalenka.
Sabalenka had been dealing with a back injury during her quarterfinal loss to Mirra Andreeva at the French Open earlier this summer. She was also dealing with illness during that tournament, making her withdrawal from Wimbledon even more disappointing for fans and pundits alike.
The shoulder injury marks the first time in Sabalenka's career that she has missed a Grand Slam tournament due to injury. The Belarusian star had been expected to be a prime contender at Wimbledon if she was healthy, given her strong form this year and her success on grass courts.
Sabalenka's withdrawal is the latest in a series of injuries that have affected top players in the lead-up to Wimbledon. Two-time champion Andy Murray is still deciding whether or not to compete due to a cyst on his back, while Novak Djokovic underwent knee surgery just over two weeks ago.
Despite her withdrawal, Sabalenka remains optimistic about her future and promises to return stronger than ever for next year's tournament.
