Vondrousova withdraws from US Open, Sabalenka moves into semi-finals

Marketa Vondrousova shockingly withdrew shortly ahead of her quarter-final match against Aryna Sabalenka at the 2025 US Open.

Vondrousova was on fire at this year's US Open. She beat Oksana Selekhmeteva, McCartney Kessler, Jasmine Paolini, and even fellow Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina to reach the quarter-finals of the New York Slam.

Her first two wins were impressive, and her win over Paolini was even more significant. However, beating Rybakina proved that, when healthy, Vondrousova is always one of the title challengers at Grand Slams.

Unfortunately for the Czech player, it's her health that let her down again ahead of her quarter-final match against Aryna Sabalenka. The two were supposed to kick off Tuesday night's session on the Arthur Ashe Stadium, but about 90 minutes before the match, Vondrousova announced her withdrawal.

Vondrousova didn't show any signs of an injury in her epic win over Rybakina, so her withdrawal came as a surprise, and, in fact, the setback is not related to any of her previous matches, according to the reports.

She practiced on a practice court ahead of her scheduled quarter-final match against Sabalenka, and during her practice, she experienced unexpected pain after hitting a forehand. She immediately bent over and stopped her practice session.

In the meantime, her quarter-final opponent, Sabalenka, appeared on the Arthur Ashe Stadium ahead of their match for a practice session, but that wasn't necessary, as Vondrousova announced her withdrawal, sending the WTA World No. 1 player to the semi-finals of the event.

As a result of Vondrousova's withdrawal, the first semi-final match of this year's US Open is already known. Sabalenka will play against Jessica Pegula, who beat another Czech player, Barbora Krejcikova, in their quarter-final.

For Sabalenka, it will be her fifth consecutive semi-final appearance at the US Open, as she has reached the stage every time since 2021, also winning the tournament once, last year. It is also her fifth consecutive Grand Slam semi-final. In fact, she has reached at least the semi-finals in 11 out of the last 12 Grand Slams that she played.

It also means that Sabalenka will keep at least 10,000 points after the US Open, as she could have dropped below due to defending 2,000 points for last year's win. She is now assured to have 10,005 points after the US Open, which also means she will comfortably keep the World No. 1 rank.

Her closest competitor is Iga Swiatek, who can have a maximum of 9,503 points if she wins the US Open. In the 2025 WTA Race, Sabalenka remains the No. 1 player, with her lead over Swiatek now standing at 857 points.

Vondrousova didn't have any tournaments planned right after the US Open. She doesn't appear on the entry list for the tournaments in Guadalajara, Sao Paulo, and Seoul, with her next scheduled event being the China Open in Beijing.

However, at the moment, it's unclear whether Vondrousova will play in Beijing or take a prolonged break from the sport. She already did that earlier this year.