Aryna Sabalenka makes tough career decision ahead of U.S. Open
Aryna Sabalenka has reached two finals and one semi in the three Grand Slam tournaments this year, and the Belarusian wants to rest ahead of her US Open defense
Aryna Sabalenka has pulled out of the US Open warm-up event in Montreal following her Wimbledon heartbreak.
Last week, Sabalenka was eliminated in the Wimbledon semi-final by Amanda Anisimova, who secured a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory two years after she took an indefinite break from tennis. The World. No. 1 handled her loss with grace and even committed an act of kindness for one fan experiencing a medical emergency, though she did accuse her opponent of breaching Wimbledon etiquette.
Sabalenka has been frustrated in Grand Slam finals recently. The Belarusian fell to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final in which she smashed her racket, and then was defeated by Coco Gauff at the French Open; Gauff became the first American champion to win at Roland Garros since Serena Williams in 2015.
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Following an emotional loss at Wimbledon, Sabalenka will not return to competition until August, when U.S. Open fever steadily rises. On Wednesday, the National Bank Open announced that the three-time major winner withdrew from Montreal due to fatigue.
“I’m looking forward to kicking off the North American hard-court swing, but to give myself the best chance for success this season, I’ve decided it’s in my best interest to skip Montreal,” a statement from Sabalenka read.
Sabalenka is in stellar form, which is why she sits atop the WTA rankings. The 27-year-old has contested seven finals throughout 2025 so far, triumphing in Brisbane, Miami, and Madrid - which is why she is struggling with fatigue coming off Wimbledon.
“I think even though I lost a lot of finals, I lost tough matches at the slams this year, I still think that the consistency I was able to bring till this moment, it's impressive,” Sabalenka said after falling to Anisimova. “Still a lot of things to be proud of.
“This experience shows that next year I'm only hungrier and angrier. These tough defeats help me to come back much stronger. I have huge hopes for the next year.”
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Sabalenka’s friend Paula Badosa has also pulled out of Montreal. She revealed earlier this week that she suffered a tear in her psoas, the latest in a series of back problems that have plagued the Spaniard since the 2023 edition of Wimbledon.
Sabalenka will look to recover and rest ahead of her U.S. Open defense. She won the 2024 U.S. Open title by defeating Jessica Pegula in the final.
