In the heart of a sweltering Miami night, Aryna Sabalenka stood on the hard courts of the Miami Open, her powerful game suddenly stripped bare. The World No. 2, known for her thunderous serves and relentless aggression, faced an unexpected twist during her quarterfinal match against Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina. A shoulder injury flared up mid-match, robbing her of the weapon that has propelled her to two Grand Slam titles and a career-high ranking. “I had to play without a serve,” Sabalenka reflected afterward, her voice a mix of frustration and wry amusement as she recounted the moment that tested her resilience. What unfolded was a gritty, uncharacteristic battle that showcased a different side of the Belarusian star—one defined not by brute force, but by sheer adaptability.
The match itself was a rollercoaster. Sabalenka, who had been cruising through the tournament with her trademark intensity, started strong, her serves clocking speeds that left opponents scrambling. But as the second set unfolded, the pain in her right shoulder became unbearable. “I couldn’t hit the serve properly without feeling it,” she admitted, painting a vivid picture of a player forced to rethink her entire strategy on the fly. Down 4-1 in the second set after dropping the first 6-4, she could have crumbled. Instead, she dug deep, dialing back her serve’s velocity and leaning on her groundstrokes to claw her way back. The final score—6-4, 1-6, 6-1—told a tale of survival, with Sabalenka outlasting Kalinina in a deciding set that turned into a war of attrition.
For Sabalenka, this wasn’t just a win—it was a revelation. The 26-year-old, who clinched the Australian Open earlier this year for her third career Slam, has long been celebrated for her explosive power. Yet in Miami, with her serve reduced to a shadow of its usual self, she leaned on patience and precision, qualities less often associated with her game. “It was a weird feeling,” she said, chuckling at the memory of underarming serves and looping balls back into play. “I’m not used to that kind of tennis.” Her ability to adjust mid-match, even as her shoulder screamed in protest, underscored a mental toughness that’s become as vital as her physical gifts.
The injury’s timing couldn’t have been worse. Sabalenka arrived in Miami on a high, having dominated the Australian Open and solidified her status as a top contender. But shoulder troubles are nothing new for tennis players, and for Sabalenka, this flare-up echoed a nagging issue from late 2024 that forced her to tweak her serving motion. She’s now headed for scans to assess the damage, with her team cautiously optimistic it’s not a long-term setback. “Hopefully it’s nothing serious,” she mused, her tone betraying a flicker of concern beneath her usual bravado. The road to the French Open looms, and a healthy Sabalenka will be crucial if she’s to conquer the clay—a surface where her power has yet to fully translate.
Kalinina, ranked No. 47, deserves her own applause. The Ukrainian pushed Sabalenka to the brink, capitalizing on the Belarusian’s weakened serve to claim the second set convincingly. “She played really well,” Sabalenka acknowledged, tipping her hat to an opponent who refused to back down. But in the third set, Sabalenka’s resolve shone brighter. With the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium roaring, she broke Kalinina’s serve early and never looked back, sealing the match with a forehand winner that echoed her defiance.
This victory propel Sabalenka into the semifinals against either Coco Gauff or Jessica Pegula, a matchup that promises fireworks—shoulder willing. It’s a testament to her evolution as a player, one who’s learning to win even when the odds tilt against her. “You have to find a way,” she said, summing up the night’s lesson with a shrug. For fans, it’s a glimpse of a champion who’s more than just a power hitter—she’s a fighter, adaptable and unyielding. As Miami’s lights dimmed, Sabalenka walked off court not just as a survivor, but as a contender still very much in the hunt, her serve or no serve.