For all the fun that Aryna Sabalenka was apparently enjoying ahead of her sixth main-draw appearance at Wimbledon, the world No.3 also warned there were doubts over her 2024 campaign.

“I'm not 100 per cent ready,” said the 26-year-old, who admitted that as she danced with Ons Jabeur in videos shared widely on social media ahead of The Championships, she was also managing a serious right-shoulder complaint.

Ahead of her scheduled first-round meeting with 107th-ranked American Emina Bektas, the No.3 seed confirmed she had run out of time.

“[I am] heartbroken to have to tell you all that I won’t be able to play The Championships this year,” Sabalenka posted ahead of the No.1 Court match, having made the difficult decision after practising with her team.

“I tried everything to get myself ready but unfortunately my shoulder is not cooperating. I pushed myself to the limit in practice today to try my best, but my team explained that playing would only make things much worse.”

It follows a frustrating period for the former world No.1 and two-time Grand Slam champion, who revealed she had taken “five or six days” to fully recover from a stomach virus that impeded her recent Roland-Garros campaign. 

She subsequently retired from the Berlin quarter-finals against Anna Kalinskaya due to the shoulder injury, which she explained to media on Saturday was to the teres major muscle. This meant the renowned power hitter is unable to serve without pain. 

The enforced withdrawal is particularly disappointing at Grand Slam level, with Sabalenka’s absence marking the first time she will miss a Slam due to injury.

Earlier this year, the popular competitor was in commanding form as she claimed a second consecutive Australian Open title without the loss of a set. She was also a finalist this year at WTA 1000 tournaments in Miami and Madrid. 

At Wimbledon last year, Sabalenka replicated her progress to the 2021 semi-finals, exiting to Jabeur in three tight sets.

The memories of those two semi-final appearances will almost certainly motivate the No.3 seed in her planned 2025 return. 

“This tournament means so much to me,” she added. “I promise I’ll be back stronger than ever next year.”