Aryna Sabalenka pulls out of first tournament after Wimbledon and explains why

Following her crushing defeat at Wimbledon, Aryna Sabalenka has pulled out of a US Open preparation tournament in Montreal. The world No. 1 was knocked out in the Wimbledon semi-finals by Amanda Anisimova, who secured a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory after a hiatus from tennis.

Despite handling her loss with grace and even expressing concern for a fan undergoing a medical emergency, Sabalenka did criticise her opponent for breaching Wimbledon protocol. The Belarusian ace has recently experienced disappointments in Grand Slam finals. She was defeated by Madison Keys at the Australian Open final, where she vented her frustration by smashing her racket, and then lost to Coco Gauff at the French Open.

In a statement, Sabalenka said: "I'm looking forward to kicking off the North American hard-court swing, but to give myself the best chance for success this season, I've decided it's in my best interest to skip Montreal."

Despite these setbacks, Sabalenka remains in top form, which is reflected in her position at the top of the WTA rankings. The 27-year-old has reached seven finals in 2025, clinching titles in Brisbane, Miami, and Madrid - hence her fatigue following Wimbledon.

Reflecting on her performance post-match against Anisimova, Sabalenka expressed a mix of pride and determination: "I think even though I lost a lot of finals, I lost tough matches at the slams this year, I still think that the consistency I was able to bring till this moment, it's impressive. Still a lot of things to be proud of.

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"This experience shows that next year I'm only hungrier and angrier. These tough defeats help me to come back much stronger. I have huge hopes for the next year."

Paula Badosa has also pulled out of Montreal due to injury. She revealed earlier in the week that she is suffering from a tear in her psoas, which compounds the back problems she has faced since Wimbledon 2023.

Sabalenka is now focusing on recovery and gearing up to defend her title at the US.Open. She secured the 2024 championship by defeating Jessica Pegula in the final.

After her Wimbledon setback, Sabalenka candidly spoke about the emotional toll of competition: "Losing sucks, you know. You always feel like you want to die, you don't want to exist any more, and this is the end of your life. Every time you compete at that tournament, and you get to the last stages, you think that you're getting close to your dream.

"Then you lose the match, and you feel like, OK, this is the end."

This article first appeared on Mirror US.