Wimbledon Tournament Suffers Another High-Profile Withdrawal
The Wimbledon tournament has been struck by another high-profile withdrawal as world number three Aryna Sabalenka has decided to retire from the competition due to a shoulder injury.
Sabalenka Suffers Shoulder Injury
Sabalenka has been carrying a shoulder injury since the WTA 500 tournament in Berlin and has opted to withdraw before making her debut at Wimbledon. The 23-year-old abandoned her quarterfinal match with Russian Anna Kalinskaya when she was trailing 5-1 in the first set.
“I Have Tried Everything, But the Injury Could Only Get Worse if I Played,” Sabalenka Said in a Statement
Sabalenka will not compete again until the American hard court tour after withdrawing from the Paris Olympic Games scheduled to take place from July 27 to August 4.
Lucky Loser Erika Andreeva Takes Sabalenka’s Place
In Sabalenka’s place, Russian Erika Andreeva, the “lucky loser” from the previous tournament and older sister of Mirra Andreeva, has entered the competition. She will face American Emina Bektas, who was initially set to face Sabalenka.
Prize Money for Withdrawals
Sabalenka’s withdrawal joins those of several other top tennis players, including Alejandro Davidovich, Pablo Carreno, Dominik Koepfer, and Ekaterina Alexandrova. According to Wimbledon rules, all players who withdraw after the draw has been made receive half of the first-round prize money, which in this case is 35,000 euros.
