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The Belarusian, who was set to face American
Emina Bektas, was replaced in the draw by Russian lucky loser
Erika Andreeva.
"I tried everything to get myself ready but unfortunately my
shoulder is not cooperating," Sabalenka said on Instagram.
"I pushed myself to the limit in practice today to try my best,
but my team explained that playing would only make things much
worse," she added.
"This tournament means so much to me and I promise I'll be back
stronger than ever next year."
Sabalenka, who suffered a lower back injury this year and
struggled with illness at the French Open during her
quarter-final loss to 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, sustained the
issue during last month's Berlin Open.
The Australian Open champion said on Saturday that she was still
not 100% heading into the year's third Grand Slam.
Since claiming her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian
Open in 2023, the 26-year-old Sabalenka has established herself
as one of the most consistent players in major tournaments.
She reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon last
year, as well as the U.S. Open final, and started 2024 by
defending her Melbourne crown.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar, editing by Ed Osmond) [© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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