Aryna Sabalenka's potential double-match day at the 2024 Berlin Open ended without even a full set because she was forced to retire due to an injury.
The Berlin Open hasn't been very fortunate for players this week, as several slipped in recent days, injuring themselves. Marketa Vondrousova was forced to retire from her match a few days ago after slipping in Berlin.
Katerina Siniakova was another player who had a nasty fall this week, and the event has now claimed another victim. It wasn't a slip that injured Sabalenka, because she didn't slip.
In her case, it was a shoulder issue that seemed to have popped out of nowhere. She looked solid this week in Berlin; however, her quarter-final match against Anna Kalinskaya didn't go well.
Due to rainy weather, the Belarusian was supposed to play two matches in one day, provided she could win this one, but she couldn't win it, and she couldn't even play more than one set.
Down 1-4 in the opening set, Sabalenka called for the trainer due to a shoulder issue. A lengthy medical time out addressed the issue, as she got a massage, and it didn't look very good because she painfully grimaced through much of it.
Any time her shoulder was touched, the Belarusian looked in pain, and after Kalinskaya held serve for a 5-1 lead, the world no. 3 player retired from the match.
She tried to serve, but it was obvious that she wouldn't be able to, and prolonging the match was just increasing the chance of further injury, as her opponent was playing too well to let this match slip away.
Loss aside, it's not great timing for Sabalenka because Wimbledon is a week away, and shoulder issues aren't usually easy to solve. Her fans will now eagerly anticipate an injury update.