Aryna Sabalenka during the Australian Open final with Elena Rybakina. (Image: Getty)
Australian Open runner-up Aryna Sabalenka has pulled out of the Qatar Open, leaving the Doha tournament rocked following a string of big-name withdrawals. After losing to Elena Rybakina in Melbourne, Sabalenka has decided to take some extra time to rest and recuperate from the opening Grand Slam of the year.
Her decision has moved Iga Swiatek, the world No. 2, to the top seed in Doha. Her path has opened up significantly as world No. 6 Jessica Pegula has also pulled out of the competition. Sabalenka was knocked out in the first round by Ekaterina Alexandrova last year and is not defending significant ranking points at the event.
Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka will also not be competing in the Middle East and Madison Keys and Iva Jovic’s absences have all been confirmed, due to physical precautions or changes in their schedules.
Marta Kosyuk has been forced to step away as she continues her recovery from injury, while last year’s French Open fan favourite Lois Boisson won’t feature and is yet to play her first match of the season.
Alexandra Eala, Emiliana Arango, Daria Kasatkina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Cristina Bucsa have all been moved into the main draw.
Sabalenka, who banked just over £1million for her efforts Down Under, won the Qatar Open on her debut in 2020, but has a losing record ever since. She is expected to feature at the Dubai Championships the following week.
The Belarusian star did not want to analyse her defeat to Rybakina in the immediate aftermath of an Australian Open final where she led 3-0 in the third set.
“I mean, she played [an] incredible match, and I try my very best. I was fighting until the very last point,” Sabalenka laughed in her post-match press conference.
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Jessica Pegula has also decided against playing in Qatar. (Image: Getty)
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“I had my opportunities. It feels like I missed couple, but I mean, it’s tennis. You know, today you’re loser; tomorrow you’re winner. Hopefully I’ll be more of a winner this season than a loser. Hoping right now and praying.”
When asked when she would sit down and have a debrief with her team, Sabalenka initially replied: “I don’t know…”
She turned to her agent and another team member and said: “When… Today? Oh, f*** you, no! Maybe in a week. Or maybe in few days. Whenever I feel like, okay, I can move on from this one.”
Sabalenka added: “I was laughing and crying. It was [a] hysterical moment, but nothing really productive from that conversation. I was just let everything go out and try to – I was really upset with myself, I would say, because once again, I had opportunities. I played great until [a] certain point, and then I couldn’t resist that aggression that she had on court today.
“I was just really upset with myself, but I think overall I played great tennis here in Australia. Even in this final I feel like I played great. I was fighting. I did my best, and today she was a better player. So I don’t know. We’ll speak with the team. Now they try to avoid and escape me because they see that it’s not really healthy to be around me right now!”