Coco Gauff was asked whether Aryna Sabalenka‘s Wimbledon withdrawal benefitted her in any way, to which she responded that, in her mind, it didn’t.
Due to her track record at the event, Sabalenka was considered one of the favorites to go really far at this year’s Wimbledon. Her tennis works really well on grass, and with her current form, she was one to watch out for.
Gauff certainly agreed with that, as the American knows well how strong the Belarusian can be. They played each other in the US Open final last year, and Gauff proved a bit better, winning the match in three sets.
When asked about Sabalenka’s withdrawal from Wimbledon during her press conference at SW19, the 20-year-old called it a shame but dismissed suggestions that it benefited her in any way.
“I mean, I probably wouldn’t have played her until the semis. So, at that point, it’s just like, this is semi-finals of the Grand Slam, no matter who you play, it’s going to be a tough person to play. But it is unfortunate that she had to pull out.”
“She’s always a contender in every slam and every surface. She’s such a competitor, and I think she’s a nice person, and I hate to see her not be able to play, especially it being such a last-minute type thing.”
In fact, Sabalenka won’t play for a while because she will not play at the Olympics. She will likely take July off and return sometime in August in North America, which will give her plenty of time to get to back to full health.
“I think she was healthy up until Berlin, at least that’s my understanding. So hopefully she’s able to get back ready. I don’t think she’s playing Olympics, so she’ll have some time, I think, to be ready for the hard court swing.”
Still, Gauff will keep the world number two spot on the WTA Tour after Wimbledon precisely because Sabalenka withdrew.