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 cooperating. This tournament means so much to me and I promise I’ll be back stronger than ever next year. ❤️
“I hate to see her not be able to play”: Coco Gauff disappointed by Sabalenka's withdrawal from Wimbledon
WTATuesday, 02 July 2024 at 22:00
Coco Gauff expressed her
disappointment over Aryna Sabalenka's withdrawal from Wimbledon, despite the
draw becoming more open for players without the presence of the world No. 3.
The Belarusian cited a shoulder injury and decided not to take to the court for
the first round on Monday.
One of the major beneficiaries
is world No. 2 Gauff, who has seen several seeded players on her side of the
draw exit the competition due to defeats or injuries. The 2-time Australian
Open champion is not the only seed to withdraw before the tournament, as her
compatriot Victoria Azarenka and grass-specialist Ekaterina Alexandrova also
couldn't debut in the tournament.
Gauff reflects on open draw after Sabalenka's exit
While a potential semifinal
clash between Gauff and Sabalenka was anticipated, the draw now appears more
open for players in the bottom half. Several surprising first-round defeats
have eliminated players like Zheng Qinwen (8th), Mirra Andreeva (24th), and
Sorana Cirstea (29th).
Currently, Gauff avoids a
matchup against any of the 32 seeds until the fourth round, where a potential
clash against Emma Navarro (19th) looms. After that, the main contenders
include 7th seed Jasmine Paolini as a possible quarterfinal opponent and Maria
Sakkari (9th) in the semifinals, assuming no further surprising upsets occur.
However, the 20-year-old
American lamented Sabalenka's withdrawal and downplayed the potential semifinal
clash: "I mean, I wouldn't have probably played her till the semis. At
that point, it's just like this is the semifinals of a Grand Slam. No matter
who you play, it's going to be a tough person to play," the world No. 2
said. "But it is unfortunate that she had to pull out. She's always a
contender in every slam and every surface. She's such a competitor. She's a
nice person."
Sabalenka defeats Gauff in Australian Open semi-finals en route to her second Grand Slam title.
"I hate to see her not be
able to play, especially it being such a last-minute type thing. I think she
was healthy up until Berlin, at least that's my understanding. So hopefully
she's able to get back ready,” Coco Gauff added. "I don't think she's
playing Olympics, so she'll have some time to be ready for the hard court
swing."
"Heartbroken to have to
tell you all that I won't be able to play the Championships this year,”
Sabalenka stated few hours before her first round clash. "This tournament
means so much to me and I promise I'll be back stronger than ever next
year."
Sabalenka, who was defending
last year's semifinals, will lose 780 points in the WTA rankings, further
distancing her from world No. 2 Gauff. There is almost a 1000-point gap between
them in the Live Rankings. However, her good distance from No. 4 Elena Rybakina
keeps her in a strong position, as the only way Sabalenka would fall in the
rankings is if Rybakina wins the title. Otherwise, she will remain world No. 3
heading into the next hard-court swing.
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