Washington: Two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka returned to action at the WTA Washington Open this week after a month off with a shoulder injury.
And the world number three is counting on being as ready as her rivals now playing at the Paris Olympics, which begins at the US Open on August 26.
There is still a way to go to the US Open. “I feel they will be ready,” Sabalenka said. “They'll probably just rest. They're not going to play anything.
“In the end it was very important for me to rest a little bit. I've had a really tough fight since March. It was much needed. Mentally, I feel fresher and more ready to go. I'll be ready.”
Sabalenka reached the semi-finals of the US Open in 2021 and 2022 and reached the final in New York last year, where she lost to American Coco Gauff.
Sabalenka, the Washington freshman, was unable to compete in the Olympics because her native Belarus was barred from sending athletes to Paris for supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Sabalenka wants to return to competition after a long rehabilitation work on his right shoulder.
“I'm here because I got injured and I haven't played for a while,” Sabalenka said. “I felt like I needed to build up my confidence and raise my level before going to the US Open. So I have to play some games and that's why I'm here.”
Sabalenka, who last played in Washington in 2017, suffered a shoulder injury in Berlin last month and had to retire from the quarterfinals.
He later withdrew from Wimbledon, where he had reached the semifinals in his previous two appearances.
“It was a very difficult decision because I have never withdrawn from a race due to injury,” he said. Even if I was injured, I would still play. I was still struggling, but I could play. This was my first experience.
But I decided to take care of my health, do a proper rehabilitation and come back stronger. So the recovery was very hard because for two weeks I was doing rehab, like a lot of training, a lot of therapy, a lot of recovery stuff.
The 26-year-old Sabalenka was off the field for a week and a half to focus on fitness.
“I felt like I was training all day,” he said. “It feels like it's actually time to switch off, but you're still training, you're still doing something. It was very hard
Sabalenka trained in hot and humid Florida, making similar conditions in the US capital somewhat easier.
“I feel like I'm physically ready after Florida,” he said.
I hope this injury never bothers me again and I can play the next Grand Slam which is my favorite. “I really want to do well there.”
