WASHINGTON: Two-time reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka returns to competition at this week's WTA Washington Open after taking a month off due to a shoulder injury.
And the world number three expects to be as ready as her rivals now playing in the Paris Olympics when the US Open starts on August 26.
“It's still a long way to go to the US Open. I feel they'll be ready, Sabalenka said. “Probably they'll take a break. They won't play anything.
“At the end it was very important for me to take a little break. I had really tough struggles starting in March. It was much needed. Mentally I feel fresher and more ready to go. I'll be ready.”
Sabalenka reached the US Open semi-finals in 2021 and 2022 and last year advanced to the New York final where she lost to American Coco Gauff.
Washington's top seed Sabalenka was unable to compete in the Olympics because her native Belarus was banned from sending athletes to Paris because of its support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Sabalenka wants to get back on track for competition after prolonged rehabilitation work on her right shoulder.
“I'm here because I got hurt and I haven't played for a while,” Sabalenka said. “I felt like I need to build my confidence back and build my level back before I go to the US Open. So I need to play some matches and that's why I'm here.”
Sabalenka, who last played in Washington in 2017, suffered her shoulder injury last month in Berlin, forcing her to withdraw from a quarterfinal match.
She later withdrew from Wimbledon, where she had reached the semi-finals in her two previous appearances.
“It was a very tough decision because I never withdraw from the tournament because of the injury,” she said. “Even though I was injured, I still played. I still struggled but was able to play. It was my first experience like that.
“But I decided to take care of my health, do a proper rehab, come back stronger. So the recovery was very tough because for two weeks I was doing rehab, like a lot of exercises, a lot of treatments, a lot of recovery.
Sabalenka, 26, was off the court for a week and a half to focus on fitness.
“It felt like I've been working out all day,” she said. “It feels like it's actually time to switch off, but you're still working out, still doing something. It was very tough.
Sabalenka trained in hot and humid Florida, which made similar conditions in the US capital somewhat easier.
“I feel like I'm physically well prepared after Florida,” she said.
“Hopefully this injury will never bother me again and I will be able to play the next Grand Slam, which is my favourite. I really want to do well there.”
