BEIJING: World number one Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday pulled out of next week’s China Open with an injury suffered on the way to winning her fourth Grand Slam title in New York earlier this month.

The Belarusian, who beat Amanda Anisimova to win the US Open for the second year running 10 days ago, will miss the WTA 1000 event in Beijing which begins on Sept 24.

“Aryna has not fully recovered from the injury she sustained during the US Open, [and] will miss the 2025 China Open,” organisers announced.

Sabalenka, who reached the quarter-finals in Beijing last year, said on China social media platform Weibo that she was “very sad” to announce her withdrawal after “sustaining a small injury” at Flushing Meadows.

“I am going to focus on recovery, and strive to quickly return to the court at 100 percent,” she added.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2025