Victoria Azarenka became the second Belarusian and third overall tennis player to withdraw before her first match at Wimbledon.
The world’s No 16, Victoria Azarenka, like her compatriot Aryna Sabalenka, withdrew from participation due to a shoulder injury. She was replaced by “lucky loser” Elsa Jacquemot, who lost to Sloane Stephens by 0-2 (3:6, 3:6).
Victoria Azarenka is a two-time Wimbledon semifinalist (2011, 2012) and reached the fourth round in 2023.
In addition to Victoria Azarenka and Aryna Sabalenka, world’s No 22 Ekaterina Alexandrova also withdrew from the tournament due to illness. She was replaced by “lucky loser” Renata Zarazua, who last night was defeated by Emma Raducanu by 2-0 (7:6, 6:3).
The British tennis player, who missed Wimbledon 12 months ago as she recovers from operations on her ankle and wrists, achieved her success in front of England football legend David Beckham and his mother Sandra. The two were in the front row of the Royal Box cheering Emma Raducanu.
Beckham wasn’t the only British celebrity in the stands on Center Court. Sir David Attenborough received a standing ovation as he took his seat before the match. He is a renowned British naturalist, creator of a number of popular nature films in the 1980s and 1990s, former director-general of BBC 2 and program director of BBC Television in the 1960s and 1970s
