Sabalenka and Jabeur retire from Berlin Open matches

Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur joined a growing list of top-10 players forced to withdraw from the Berlin Open due to injury or illness. Sabalenka retired from her quarter-final match against Anna Kalinskaya due to shoulder pain, trailing 5-1 in the first set. This was the first time in her WTA Tour career that Sabalenka had withdrawn from a match due to injury. Kalinskaya advanced to the semi-finals with two walkovers, including one from Marketa Vondrousova, who retired after slipping and falling during their last-16 match.

In another quarter-final, Ons Jabeur battled Coco Gauff in a lengthy opening set lasting 72 minutes, which Gauff won 7-6(9). Jabeur retired from the match due to illness, and she was seen having her temperature checked before withdrawing.

Reflecting on the match, Gauff expressed mixed feelings about her victory, noting the competitive first set and wishing Jabeur well. Gauff believed Jabeur would recover quickly and perform strongly at Wimbledon.

Earlier in the tournament, Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina also withdrew due to illness, allowing Victoria Azarenka to advance to the semi-finals. Rybakina appeared visibly affected by abdominal pains during her withdrawal.