No Sweat for Sabalenka: 21-Year Gap Ends as She Reaches US Open Semis via Walkover

New York (The Uttam Hindu): An unexpected incident took place in the women's singles competition of the US Open 2025 when defending champion and world number-1 Aryna Sabalenka reached the semi-finals without playing. Her opponent in the quarter-finals, Marketa Vondrousova, withdrew due to a knee injury just before the match.

With this walkover, a unique record was created in the history of the Grand Slam. Sabalenka became the first female player to get a walkover for the semi-finals in the last 21 years and in the history of the US Open. Overall, this is only the third such occasion in the history of the Women's Grand Slam.

26-year-old Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic performed brilliantly in the tournament and reached the quarter-finals. However, a day before the match, she injured her knee during the practice session. According to ESPN report, Vondrousova looked very emotional after this decision. She said in her statement, "I tried my best to come on the court today, but felt unbearable pain in the knee during warm-up. After consulting the doctor, I decided not to play in this match."

Earlier in the Women's Grand Slam, players got a walkover for the semi-finals during the Australian Open in 1992 and 2004. Now Aryna Sabalenka's name has also been added to this exclusive list. Sabalenka, a strong contender to defend the title, will now face America's world number-3 player Jessica Pegula in the semi-final match to be held on September 5.