Sabalenka 'not 100%' certain for Wimbledon due to 'rare' injury

Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning Australian Open champion, expressed uncertainty about her participation in the upcoming Wimbledon tournament. On Saturday, she revealed that a "really rare" shoulder injury might prevent her from competing in her first-round match.

Last week, during the quarter-finals of a tournament in Berlin, Sabalenka was forced to withdraw from her match against Anna Kalinskaya due to the shoulder issue, reported AFP.

Despite having reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon on two previous occasions, the injury has cast doubt on her ability to compete this year.

"I'm not 100% fit now," admitted the 26-year-old Belarusian who is due to face 106th-ranked Emina Bektas of the United States in the first round on Monday.

"We're doing everything we can with my team to make sure I'll be able to play my first match here. But, no, I'm not 100% ready."

When asked if there was a chance she may withdraw on Monday, she said: "There is always a chance, yeah."

Sabalenka said her doctors had told her that she was "just the second or the third tennis player who injured the (shoulder) muscle".

"It's really a specific injury, and it's really a rare one."

Sabalenka stood by her choice to forgo the upcoming Paris Olympics, a decision she announced following her loss to Mirra Andreeva, a young Russian player, in the French Open quarterfinals.

The tennis star explained that her primary concern was her well-being, as she was hesitant to transition back to the clay courts at Roland Garros, which will host the Olympic tennis competition. Sabalenka emphasised that her decision was based on prioritizing her physical health and performance.

"I decided to sacrifice the Olympics for my career, for my health," said Sabalenka.

"I really hope that I'll be able to play in the next Olympics."