WTA Berlin: Jannik Sinner’s Girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya Comes in Way of Aryna Sabalenka’s Smooth Roger Federer Trajectory

“I always do my best to fight to the end.” Aryna Sabalenka‘s words have become her trademark, reflecting her tenacity and fierce determination on the court. Sabalenka’s campaign on the grass was filled with promise, drawing comparisons to the legendary Roger Federer’s dominance on this surface. Yet, even the fiercest warriors face battles they cannot win. As the grass-court season kicks off with heightened enthusiasm, it has also brought a wave of injuries that haunt both players and organizers. The latest casualty? World No. 3, Aryna Sabalenka.

Aryna Sabalenka has been on an impressive run on the grass so far. She reached the quarterfinals of the Eco-Trans Ladies Open in Berlin but was seen struggling with her shoulder. Facing Jannik Sinner‘s girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya on Saturday, Aryna failed to get a good start and was trailing 4-1. Soon, the Belarusian star called a medical timeout to have her shoulder and neck area assessed and treated, and she tried to play through the injury. But after another game, the No. 2 seed decided to retire. This just did not end her match, but also a remarkable streak.

Sabalenka has an impressive record of never retiring from a game in her career so far. She has played over 550 matches at the pro level but has never called off a match due to an injury. She was considered to be an ideal contender for Roger Federer’s record. The Serbian tennis legend has never quit a single match in his entire career, which spanned 24 years. Meanwhile, the grass-court season does not look to be good for many other female players as well.

The 26-year-old is not the only player who called it quits in her campaign in Berlin. Ons Jabeur, too, faced a similar situation and retired in her match against Coco Gauff on Saturday. Earlier, defending Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova and 2022 winner Elena Rybakina also retired from their matches in the tournament. This also seems to be a worry for the organizers, who will have to lose a lot if these players fail to appear at Wimbledon. Sabalenka’s decision, meanwhile, has surprised the fans, especially because of her past actions.

The tennis star faced a similar challenge at Roland Garros. Despite being in visible stress due to a stomach ache, she did not choose to withdraw. She told the reporters that she never thought of quitting the match, despite the problem. “I always do my best to fight to the end.” Meanwhile, the Belarusian player is not expecting enough from her Wimbledon campaign as well.

‘I don’t have enough opportunities,’ Aryna Sabalenka’s admission about her dreams at Wimbledon

Aryna Sabalenka is yet to achieve enough on the grass turf. While the Belarusian is a two-time semifinalist at Wimbledon, she has shared a heartbreaking admission to raise doubts over her own victory in the prestigious tournament. 

In an interview that featured on WTAtennis.com, Sabalenka expressed the challenges she faces on grass. “We just don’t play enough time on grass so I don’t have enough time to win a title. It’s not like I feel bad, I’ve made some good results on the grass and I feel really good. I think grass actually suits my game really well.” Continuing further, she highlighted the lack of opportunities for her. 

“So it’s not about the surface, it’s about the month of tournaments, the amount of opportunities that I have on a grass court.” Meanwhile, her recent injury in Berlin is further creating problems for her. It will be interesting to see if she can make an exceptional comeback from her injury and defy the odds to achieve more at Wimbledon.