Aryna Sabalenka returned to the tennis courts at the 2024 Citi Open in Washington, and after her match, she provided a minor injury update on her shoulder, which kept her from playing at Wimbledon.
It's been a while since fans last got a chance to see Sabalenka on the tennis courts. The Belarusian player last played at the Berlin Open before returning to the courts at the WTA 500 event in Washington.
We had known for a while that Sabalenka wouldn't be playing at the Paris Olympics because she announced that a long time before the Olympic Games started, but her Wimbledon withdrawal was a sudden development.
She was in Berlin playing really solid tennis but then had to abandon that due to a shoulder injury. She retired from her match there and confirmed upon arriving in London that she might not play in London because of the injury.
Fans were hopeful that she would find a way to play at Wimbledon, but unfortunately, it didn't happen, as she withdrew a couple of days later. The plan for the Belarusian was simple: use the following weeks to prepare for the US Open swing and return when she feels ready.
It was a good plan, and it seems to have worked out well. Her return happened in Washington, maybe even a bit earlier than many expected, but she felt comfortable enough to return and did it.
The match was a tricky one, as she needed three sets to win, but she was able to beat Kamilla Rakhimova 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. She hadn't played for a while, and her timing will eventually improve.
There were far too many missed shots from her side, and her opponent did a really good job of making things difficult for her, which she also recognized.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm super happy to be back on court. I didn't play like months it feels like. It's been more than that. Happy to get through this tough match. She played incredible tennis. I'm just super happy to get this win."
This was an important win for Sabalenka because it allowed her to play another match in Washington. This week in the US capital is mostly about playing as many matches as possible for her, because she needs matches right now.
It's also important because she wants to test her body and see how it responds to playing tennis. Speaking after the match, Sabalenka admitted that coming back wasn't easy, but she could serve without pain. She will see how she feels after her next match.
"I mean, I really hope it's okay. At least I was able to serve without pain. It's not going to be easy to come back after injury, especially the one I had. I feel okay and we'll see how I feel tomorrow. But I really, really hope I'm going to be all right for the next match."