Aryna Sabalenka, the 2023 Australian Open champion, may expect a lot of attention on her return to Wimbledon. The 25-year-old tennis player is finally returning to Wimbledon after missing the event the year prior since players from Russia and Belarus were banned from competing. The banned players, including Sabalenka, were disappointed that they were denied a chance to compete as athletes. Nevertheless, it’s a new year and a new opportunity for all the athletes out there.

Now that the ban has been lifted, the World No. 2 recalled how hard it was to watch the competition from home without participating. Likewise, knowing how much the Wimbledon tournament meant to her, she grieved uncontrollably when she missed it.

Aryna Sabalenka cried after missing Wimbledon last year 

After winning her first Grand Slam title earlier this year and achieving a good rank in the WTA ranking. Sabalenka is on to her next Grand Slam title, and this time she is aiming for the Wimbledon title. Even after going through a lot of uncertainty regarding her visa approval, the time has finally come, as she is in London getting ready for the tournament.

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In the pre-championship press conference, the 25-year-old tennis star looked happy to be back on the Wimbledon court and talked about how she was ready to take over the tournament this year. During the conference, the Belarusian tennis player also talked about her experience last year when she didn’t get an opportunity to participate. And recalled how she felt watching the tournament from home, but not getting a chance to participate.

She said, “I didn’t watch Wimbledon a lot. I felt so bad & I just couldn’t watch it. Every time, if Wimbledon would be on TV, I would cry. So, I decided just to stay away from Wimbledon last year (smiling)”.

However, her journey to get to Wimbledon Court was not that easy. Even after getting an official nod to participate in the tournament, her visa approval created problems even after the ban.

Sabalenka’s journey to Wimbledon was not easy 

Despite the fact that the second-ranked tennis player in the world has already stated that she doesn’t give a damn if she gets to play Wimbledon this year or not. But deep down, she was concerned about missing out on the chance to compete at Wimbledon. However, things started to fall into place this year as the ban was lifted. And the competition permitted all Russian and Belarusian players to compete in it.

Even after the ban was lifted, she shared the depressing news on Instagram that she was still awaiting visa approval. She must overcome that obstacle before she can travel to London to compete in the event. After a long voyage to the grass-court Grand Slam tournament, it’s time for Sabalenka to shine.

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