Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time reigning Australian Open champion, is making her return to competition at this week’s WTA Washington Open after a month-long break due to a shoulder injury. The world number three is aiming to be as prepared as her rivals currently competing in the Paris Olympics when the US Open kicks off on August 26th.
“It’s still a way to go to the US Open. I feel like they are going to be ready,” Sabalenka remarked. “Probably they’ll just take a break. They’re not going to play whatever. At the end it was very important for me to take a little break. I had really tough struggles starting from March. It was much needed. Mentally, I feel more fresh and more ready to go. I’ll be ready.”
Sabalenka has a strong history at the US Open, reaching the semi-finals in 2021 and 2022 and advancing to the final last year, where she was defeated by American Coco Gauff. Despite being the top seed in Washington, Sabalenka missed the chance to compete at the Olympics due to Belarus being banned from sending athletes to Paris over its support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
After extensive rehabilitation on her right shoulder, Sabalenka is eager to return to the court. “I’m here because I got injured and I haven’t played for a while,” she explained. “I felt like I need to build my confidence back and build my level back before going to the US Open. So I need to play some matches and that’s why I’m here.”
Sabalenka last played in Washington in 2017. Her recent shoulder injury occurred last month in Berlin, leading her to retire from a quarter-final match and subsequently withdraw from Wimbledon, where she had previously reached the semi-finals twice. “That was a very tough decision because I never pull out from the tournament because of the injury,” she admitted. “Even if I was injured, I was still playing. I was still struggling, but being able to play. It was my first experience like that.”
Focused Rehabilitation and Preparation
Determined to prioritize her health, Sabalenka committed to a rigorous rehabilitation program. “I decided to take care of my health, to do a proper rehab, get back stronger. So the recovery was very tough one because for two weeks I was doing rehab, like a lot of exercises, a lot of treatments, a lot of recovery stuff,” she shared.
During her time off the court, Sabalenka concentrated on her fitness for a week and a half. “It felt like the whole day I’ve been doing exercises,” she said. “It feels like it’s actually time to switch off, but you’re still working out, still doing something. It was very tough.”
Training in the hot and humid conditions of Florida has helped her adapt to similar weather in Washington. “I feel like physically I’m well-prepared after Florida,” she stated. “Hopefully this injury will never bother me again and I’ll be able to play the next Grand Slam, which is my favourite one. I really want to do well there.”
