US Open: Maria Sakkari abandons first round match against Yafan Wang due to injury

Maria Sakkari’s journey at the 2024 US Open ended abruptly in the first round after she was forced to retire due to a shoulder injury. Sakkari had lost 6-2 in the first set to China’s Yafan Wang when she decided to withdraw after a long medical timeout. Sakkari’s decision allowed Wang, who had been struggling with visible shoulder and neck problems, to become the first player to advance to the second round of this year’s tournament.

The world No. 9 had already withdrawn from recent tournaments in Canada and Cincinnati and had not competed since the Olympics. Her early exit at the US Open continues her ongoing struggles at Grand Slam tournaments, with her last appearance coming in the second week at the 2022 Australian Open. Sakkari’s recent form has been disappointing, suffering notable losses at Wimbledon to Emma Raducanu and at Roland Garros to Varvara Gracheva. Despite adding coach Sergi Bruguera to her team after splitting with her long-time coach Tom Hill, her performance has yet to improve.

Rather than retiring before the tournament, Sakkari decided to compete but was ultimately unable to finish the match, marking another setback for the Greek star. She will now focus on getting back to full health in time to defend her title next week in Guadalajara.