'It’s in my best interest to skip Montreal': Aryna Sabalenka pulls out of Canadian Open after Wimbledon heartbreak

Aryna Sabalenka announced her withdrawal from the upcoming Canadian Open, following a painful defeat in the Wimbledon semifinals. The world No. 1 cited fatigue as the reason for taking a break before returning to the courts, which for now would be at the Cincinnati Open, starting only on August 11.

After Wimbledon, things are starting to reconfigure on the WTA Tour. For the third consecutive time, Sabalenka made a deep run in a Grand Slam and left empty-handed. The defeats in the Australian Open and French Open finals deeply affected the Belarusian, who hoped to get revenge at the All England Club.

However, the Belarusian was surprised in the semifinals by American Amanda Anisimova, saying goodbye to Wimbledon for the third time – just like in her previous two appearances – at the same stage. Anisimova secured a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory, but was swept aside by Swiatek in the final.

"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," she said. "I’ll miss my amazing Canadian fans, but I’m already looking forward to seeing you all next year. Thanks for your understanding and support; it means the world to me," Sabalenka declared in a statement.

The Canadian Open is set to begin on July 27, and had confirmed the full top-10 female players, although they will have to lament the absence of the 3-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka following her announcement.

This will mean a loss of points for Sabalenka, who reached the quarterfinals last year, but it does not jeopardize her position as world No. 1. Additionally, her withdrawal will benefit Coco Gauff – who becomes the first seed in the draw – as well as Iga Swiatek, who will be the second seed.

The departure of Sabalenka adds to the recently confirmed absence of Paula Badosa, who continues to suffer from back problems and announced she will be out for several weeks, although without confirming a potential return date.