Aryna Sabalenka admits ‘disaster’ over injury ahead of US Open victory

Aryna Sabalenka has spoken out about the shoulder injury that caused her to miss Wimbledon this summer, describing the setback as a “disaster”.

The world number two withdrew from the 2024 Wimbledon Championships on the opening day of the tournament as he struggled to recover from injury. Had he been healthy, he would have been the clear favourite to win the title at the All England Club.

The Belarusian star had to retire due to the same problem in her quarter-final match against Anna Kalinskaya in Berlin a week before Wimbledon.

After Wimbledon, Sabalenka She chose not to compete at the Paris Olympics and instead reached the semifinals at the WTA 500 event in Washington.

The 26-year-old then reached the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto and won the title in Cincinnati.

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These three tournaments, held on North American hard courts, have been ideal preparation for Sabalenka’s bid to win the 2024 US Open title.

Sabalenka won her first US Open crown and third Grand Slam title after triumphing in the last two editions of the Australian Open, losing just one set in her 12 matches at the Cincinnati and US Open.

The three-time Major winner recalled his shoulder injury, saying it was because he kept playing even though he thought he should stop.

“It was a disaster for me. I felt like I got to the point where I got injured because I didn’t stop when I should have,” he told Tennis.com.

“I thought the only way to get through a tough challenge was to just get through it, stay focused on my work. I was putting a lot of stress on myself without realizing it.”

Sabalenka spoke of the difficulty of missing Wimbledon after her Flushing Meadows victory, and said winning the US Open was her “dream”.

“I faced many challenges on and off the court. The most difficult one was getting injured and not being able to play at Wimbledon. It was a new experience for me,” Sabalenka said.

“This is a very special place, the US Open. I’ve had some tough losses in the past. I always hoped that one day I could hold this beautiful trophy. It was always my dream.

“That’s why it’s so special, because no matter what, every time I came back stronger and I was learning, I never gave up on that dream and yeah, you know, it means a lot.”