File photo of Aryna Sabalenka.© AFP
Australian Open champion and world number three Aryna Sabalenka withdrew from Wimbledon on Monday due to a shoulder injury, tournament organisers announced. Sabalenka, a two-time semi-finalist at the All England Club, is replaced in the draw by Russian lucky loser Erika Andreeva, who will face American qualifier Emina Bektas in the first round. Sabalenka, 26, had hinted at the weekend that she may be forced to pull out after suffering the injury at the recent Berlin tournament. “I’m not 100 percent fit now,” admitted the Belarusian.
When asked on Saturday if there was a chance she may withdraw, she said: “There is always a chance, yeah.”
“It’s really a specific injury, and it’s really a rare one.”
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