Aryna Sabalenka had a disappointing outcome in the French Open semifinals.
It has been an emotionally difficult tournament for her evidenced by the fact that she stopped appearing at post-match press conferences off the court.
The politics of the war in Ukraine have not only caused strain with the Ukranian players.
Belarusian and Russian players have been dealing with the fallout of the war also.
One of the issues that cropped up recently was the slow turnaround for UK visas for these players as they prepare for grass court season and Wimbledon.
Sabalenka shared some positive news on this front on Friday indicating that she now has her UK visa.
This means without a doubt that Sabalenka will be at Wimbledon and can choose to play at grass court tune-up matches prior to its beginning on July 3.
Tennis fans fully expect Sabalenka to rebound from her early exit at the French Open and play great tennis at Wimbledon.
Here are a few other Wimbledon notes.
1. No Word On Other Players’ Visas
Sabalenka’s visa coming through hopefully portends a good outcome for other players that were waiting for theirs.
Those include Daniil Medvedev and 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva.
Wimbledon did not allow any Belarusian or Russian players to participate in 2022 so setting the politics aside, it is good for the sport and its fans to see the best players in the world at the most hallowed grounds of tennis in the world.
2. Hometown Player Jack Draper Is Out
British fans will be disappointed to hear that their hometown hero, Jack Draper, who was born and raised in London, will not play at Wimbledon this year.
He has a shoulder injury that also kept him out of the French Open.
The 21-year-old is currently ranked 60th in the world, and for obvious reasons is a fan favorite.
BREAKING: Jack Draper is out of Wimbledon with the shoulder injury he sustained at the French Open.
I’m told he is aiming for competitive comeback in mid-July.
Says he needs “time and rehab” to get his shoulder back to full health. pic.twitter.com/saTxvBfICv
— James Gray (@jamesgraysport) June 8, 2023
3. Venus Williams Is Still Iffy
Venus has arrived in the Netherlands and is practicing serves on the practice courts 💪 #venuswilliams #grasscourts pic.twitter.com/Ngyjhx9IUs
— Isaac (@Isaac_Williams2) June 8, 2023
We know that Venus is making her return from a hamstring injury to the grass courts this summer.
Does that include a trip to Wimbledon?
We do not know that for sure yet but hope so; she will likely evaluate her performance in the tune-up tournaments and go from there.
Mark your calendars as Wimbledon begins on July 3 and runs through July 16, 2023.
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