Aryna Sabalenka Opens Up on Paris Olympics Adversity as She Clears Her Stance on Snubbing Them for a Much-Needed Break

Regroup, Refocus, and Recharge! Aryna Sabalenka is all set to play an official match after almost 39 days on Wednesday. While the whole world was busy concentrating on the buildup for the Paris Olympics, the Belarusian tennis star took a break from all forms of tennis. During this break, she nursed her shoulder injury, which she sustained in Berlin last month. This also forced her to withdraw her name from the Wimbledon Championships. However, now she’s ready with a fresh mind to compete for the rest of the season.

Withdrawing from Wimbledon was never an easy decision. Reflecting on it, she said, “That was a very tough decision because I never pull out from the tournament because of the injury.” Even this time, she revealed that she tried everything she could, but unfortunately for her, the shoulder didn’t cooperate. She explained that her team told her things could become much worse if she had opted to play. However, the Belarusian superstar is all set to rock the courts yet again. She will take part in the Mubadala Citi DC Open after almost seven years.

Before hitting the courts to play her first match, Aryna Sabalenka revealed the exact reasons why this break was extremely crucial for her. Does she think she’ll be more mentally fresh for the US Open than other players who are in Paris at the moment? Well, she thinks it’s a long way to go to the US Open, and her peers would get ready well in time. “I think at the end it was very important for me to take a little break. I had really tough, tough struggles starting from March. It didn’t stop. Probably it was much needed. Like mentally, I feel more fresh and more ready to go.”

She refrains from comparing herself to the players in Paris because she believes they are top professionals and they know exactly how to manage their workloads. Sabalenka reached the SF of the US Open twice in her career (2021, 2022). However, in the last season, she managed to take it a step further and make it to the finals, but she was defeated by Coco Gauff. How does she look forward to the 2024 US Open?

Aryna Sabalenka wants to be 100% fit before her “favorite” Grand Slam

Next up for her are the WTA 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati. She may look at these tournaments to keep herself ready for the major event, which starts on August 26. It’s quite likely that the 2024 WTA Player of the Year may well be decided in the span of the next few months. Can Aryna Sabalenka land her second major of the season?

Well, she’s now looking forward to gaining as much confidence as she can before the US Open by displaying a stellar performance at these preparatory events. She spent quite some time during the breaks in training in the hot and humid conditions of Florida.

Reflecting on her eagerness to do well at the US Open, she stated, “Hopefully this injury will never bother me again and I’ll be able to play the next Grand Slam, which is my favorite one. I really want to do well there.” Her goal is now to become a “better player,” learn from each of her losses, and make a sweet ending to the 2024 campaign.