Wimbledon: Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka pull out on first day due to shoulder injuries | Tennis News

Wimbledon: Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka pull out on first day due to shoulder injuries | Tennis News


Two-time Grand Slam champions Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka have withdrawn from Wimbledon due to shoulder injuries.

The Belarusian, who was third seed and set to face Emina Bektas on Court No 1 on Monday, was replaced in the draw by lucky loser Erika Andreeva.

Sabalenka, who suffered a lower back injury this year and struggled with illness at the French Open, sustained the injury during last month’s Berlin Open.

Azarenka, also from Belarus and also a two-time Grand Slam winner, withdrew later on Monday as organisers confirmed she also had a shoulder injury. France’s Elsa Jacquemot has replaced her.

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Fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, 34, has also withdrawn due to a shoulder injury

Speaking on social media, Sabalenka said: “Heartbroken to have to tell you all that I won’t be able to play The Championships this year. I tried everything to get myself ready but unfortunately my shoulder is not co-operating. This tournament means so much to me and I promise I’ll be back stronger than ever next year.”

Sabalenka was a semi-finalist at the All England Club each of the last two times she appeared there. A little more than a week ago, Sabalenka stopped playing during the first set of her quarter-final at the Berlin Ladies Open, citing pain in her shoulder.

She said she had a muscle injury that she called “very frustrating”.

Ons Jabeur of Tunisia is celebrated after winning the Ladies' Singles Semi-finals match against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the Championships, Wimbledon at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, the United Kingdom on July 13, 2023. ( The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images )
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Sabalenka reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon on her last two appearances

“The most annoying thing is that I can do anything. I can practice; I can hit my groundstrokes. I’m struggling with serving. That’s really annoying. You don’t feel like you’re injured,” Sabalenka said.

“If you give me some weights, I’m going to go lift some weights. But if you tell me to serve, I’m going to go through pain. We did an MRI, we did everything. We did a lot of rehab, a lot of treatments and everything.”

Sabalenka had said on Saturday there was a chance she would need to pull out of Wimbledon.

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Emma Raducanu says defeats to Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka motivated improvements to her serving | Tennis News

Emma Raducanu says defeats to Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka motivated improvements to her serving | Tennis News



Emma Raducanu says improvements to her serve that have helped her reach the Nottingham quarter-finals were motivated by recent defeats to Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka.

Raducanu beat Ukraine’s Daria Snigur in straight sets on Thursday to advance to reach the last eight of a WTA grass-court tournament for the first time.

Her success on home soil follows losses to World No 3 Sabalenka in March on the hard courts of Indian Wells and World No 1 Iga Swiatek in April on clay in Stuttgart.

“I’m very happy to have come through that match,” Raducanu said after hitting 11 aces in the 6-2 6-2 win.

“It was a really tricky one in the conditions and I’m just very happy with how I dealt with all the circumstances. Daria’s a really difficult opponent so it is actually a really good achievement for me to have come through that one.

Highlights of the Stuttgart Open quarter-final between Emma Raducanu and Iga Swiatek.

“I’m pleased for sure serving it out the first time. I served really well throughout the whole match and it did make the match a bit easier. If I had just a second serve, it would have just been a nightmare to play her.

“I’ve been working on every part of my game but obviously the serve is very important. It’s just repetition and I’m pleased to see the rewards in competition.

“Especially what I’ve realised, playing the top opponents like Iga (Swiatek) or Aryna (Sabalenka), you need a first serve because they’re very comfortable holding serve. If you don’t have one yourself then it’s very difficult.”

Highlights of the Stuttgart Open quarter-final between Emma Raducanu and Iga Swiatek.

Raducanu has been without her coach Nick Cavaday in Nottingham due to him being unwell, so has instead had former British professional Jane O’Donoghue supporting her.

O’Donoghue, who twice reached the second round of Wimbledon during her own career, previously worked with Raducanu in her capacity as an LTA coach.

Raducanu struggled to find her range and timing in the first couple of games against 22-year-old Snigur, who is ranked 127th and proficient on grass having won the junior title at Wimbledon five years ago.

Highlights of the round of 32 match at the Indian Wells Open between Emma Raducanu and Aryna Sabalenka.

But from 2-0 down Raducanu reeled off six games in a row before breaking twice more in the second set, while her serve helped her save seven of the eight break points she faced.

The 21-year-old was coughing and spluttering at times but played down concerns, saying: “I’m a bit sick but who isn’t? It doesn’t matter.”

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French Open: Mirra Andreeva, 17, stuns world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka to reach first Grand Slam semi-final | Tennis News


Seventeen-year-old Mirra Andreeva reached her first Grand Slam semi-final as she shocked Aryna Sabalenka in the last eight at Roland Garros, beating the world No 2 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-4.

Sabalenka, struggling with illness throughout the contest, still managed to claim a remarkable opening set, which saw six breaks of serve, courtesy of a tie-break.

Having comfortably won her last two meetings with Andreeva, the Belarusian had raced into a 3-1 before her own serve came undone in the opening set.

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus waits for medical; assistance during her quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament against Russia's Mirra Andreeva at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Wednesday, June 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)
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Aryna Sabalenka received medical assistance during her quarter-final as she struggled with illness

After losing four games on the bounce to trail 5-3, Sabalenka called for the trainer out and took some medication before regrouping to force a tie-break which she edged.

But the Australian Open champion would continue to struggle physically at the start of the second set and received a time violation at one point for taking too long between games, crouching to her knees to try and recover.

Andreeva would go on to force a decider and, after an exchange of breaks, the pair were locked in a high-quality battle that thrilled fans on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Andreeva would go on to clinch a memorable victory as the teenager broke Sabalenka in the final game, lobbing her opponent for the win on her second match point.

Paolini knocks out Rybakina in quarter-final classic

Jasmine Paolini booked a place in the final four of the French Open for the first time, knocking out fourth seed Elena Rybakina in an epic quarter-final.

Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates as she won the quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Wednesday, June 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
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Jasmine Paolini celebrates her quarter-final win over Elena Rybakina at Roland Garros

The 28-year-old Italian staved off a fightback from the Kazakh former Wimbledon champion to seal a stunning 6-2 4-6 6-4 win, setting up a semi-final meeting with Andreeva.

Playing in her first career Grand Slam quarter-final, Paolini got off to a confident start, cruising through the opening set but suffered a major wobble when losing four service games in a row across the second and third.

The 12th-seeded Paolini had twice broken Rybakina in the second set, only to immediately be broken back and, rather than clinch victory in straight sets, she was suddenly forced into a decider as she lost her serve yet again.

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan looks on in the Women's Singles first round match against Greet Minnen of Belgium on Day Three of the 2024 French Open at at Roland Garros on May 28, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Mateo Villalba/Getty Images)
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Rybakina mounted a comeback in the second set but was ultimately denied a first French Open semi-final

The two players traded four further breaks to open the third set before Paolini finally returned to the level she showed early in the match, taking advantage of a slew of Rybakina errors to earn the decisive break in the ninth game before serving out for a famous victory.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. It was a really tough match,” Paolini said after clinching a semi-final spot.

“I think I was a little bit too emotional in the second set but I said to myself, ‘it’s good, she’s a great champion, so it can happen’.

“I tried to stay there every point. I managed to come back, stay focused and fight again.”

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