Aryna Sabalenka has withdrawn from the upcoming Canadian Open, just a week after suffering heartbreak at Wimbledon.
The world No. 1 was knocked out in the semi-finals at the All England Club by Amanda Anisimova, falling to a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 defeat.
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Sabalenka will not make an immediate return to tennis after her Wimbledon semi-final exitCredit: AFP
After beating the top seed, the American went on to lose the final in catastrophic circumstances, losing 6-0, 6-0 to Iga Swiatek in the first Wimbledon final ‘double bagel’ in 114 years.
Fans expected Sabalenka to get over her Wimbledon disappointment by getting straight back into action.
And with the US Open kicking off in late August, preparations for the final major of the year are now underway, with the North American swing beginning at the Canadian Open.
The WTA-1000 event begins on July 27, but Sabalenka has now confirmed she will not make her return to the court in Montreal.
She announced her withdrawal in a statement, with the 27-year-old citing fatigue as a reason.
It read: “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.”
While Sabalenka did not specify when she will be back in competitive action, her withdrawal means it will now not be until August.
This will leave her just over three weeks to prepare for the US Open, with the Belarussian taking part in the major’s revamped Mixed Doubles Championship on August 19.
In the inaugural edition of the new-look format, Sabalenka will partner Grigor Dimitrov as one of 16 big-name pairings competing for the $1million prize in New York.
Following the two-day event, she will then compete in the main singles draw, which gets underway on August 27.
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Sabalenka’s last Grand Slam title came in last year’s US OpenCredit: Getty
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The world number one lost her first-ever French Open final in JuneCredit: Getty
Sabalenka heads into the hard court major as defending champion, having beaten Jessica Pegula in last year’s final.
Victory in Flushing Meadows would secure the tennis star a fourth Grand Slam title, and her first of 2025.
Despite reaching back-to-back major finals at the Australian Open and the French Open, Sabalenka suffered defeat on both occasions.
She was beaten by Madison Keys in Melbourne, where she vented her frustration by smashing her racket, later receiving a $20,000 fine.
Sabalenka then lost to Coco Gauff at the French Open, before enduring her worst campaign of the year at Wimbledon.
A three-set defeat to Anisimova meant her wait to reach a first final in SW19 will continue for another year, while Sabalenka also voiced her frustrations with her opponent for a perceived lack of sportsmanship.
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Sabalenka’s defeat at Wimbledon saw her quest for a first Grand Slam of 2025 continueCredit: AFP
Despite falling short in majors however, the top-ranked women’s player has still enjoyed success elsewhere in 2025.
Sabalenka has contested seven finals so far this year, triumphing in Brisbane, Miami and Madrid.
And she was quick to point out the positives in her season after her Wimbledon bid was ended by Anisimova.
Sabalenka said: “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.
“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.”
Sabalenka isn’t the only big name player to pull out of the Canadian Open, with world number nine Paula Badosa also withdrawing due to injury.
The Belarusian competed in last year’s tournament, reaching the quarter-finals, where she was defeat by none other than Anisimova.