The Berlin Ladies Open quarterfinals saw a disappointing turn of events as Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur were forced to retire from their respective matches. Sabalenka, the second seed, had to halt her match against Anna Kalinskaya due to shoulder pain while trailing 5-1. Jabeur, on the other hand, exited her match against Coco Gauff after losing the first-set tiebreaker 7-6 (9) because of an illness.
Sadly, these retirements add to the growing list of injured or ill players just days before the start of Wimbledon. Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, also retired from her quarterfinal match due to unknown illness, while last year’s Wimbledon champion, Marketa Vondrousova, had to withdraw from her match because of a leg injury.
The rain delays in Berlin led to several quarterfinals being pushed to Saturday. Following Sabalenka’s departure, Kalinskaya advanced to the final by defeating former No. 1 player Victoria Azarenka in a thrilling 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-1 match. In the other semifinal, Coco Gauff, ranked No. 2, was scheduled to play against her doubles partner Jessica Pegula, ranked No. 5.
These unexpected retirements serve as a reminder of the physical demands and challenges faced by professional tennis players. As the players prepare for Wimbledon, fans eagerly await the start of the tournament on July 1st, hoping for a competition filled with exciting and healthy performances.