Aryna Sabalenka won the 2024 Australian Open, defending her title from the year prior, as she beat China’s Qinwen Zheng in the final.

Sabalenka beat Coco Gauff in the semi-finals, the women many are tipping to be the Belarussian’s biggest threat in Melbourne this time around.

Another threat to the 26-year-old’s dominance in Australia, Iga Swiatek, lost in the third round last year to Linda Noskova.

There are plenty of other names that will be looking to end Sabalenka’s run of titles on Rod Laver Arena, but one former Slam winner has just suffered a huge setback, days before the event begins.

Marketa Vondrousova left in tears after retiring injured days before the start of the Australian Open

Playing in just her second match in over five months, 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova led by a set when she suffered an injury in her match against Diana Shnaider at the Adelaide International.

Vondrousova was in tears as she called the physio over, before retiring just two games into the second set of her last 16 match.

The 25-year-old had last played at Wimbledon in July, losing in the first round, before having surgery that saw her miss the rest of the season.

She made her return in the last 32 in Adelaide, defeating former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-7, 6-2.

With Vondrousova’s retirement, Shnaider booked her place in the quarter-finals, where she will face off against the winner of Ons Jabeur and Yulia Putintseva.

Vondrousova isn’t the first big name to retire in Adelaide, as Anna Kalinskaya was injured during her first-round match against Belinda Bencic on Tuesday.

Will Marketa Vondrousova end her career as a one-time Grand Slam winner?

When Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman to win the Wimbledon title in 2023, many expected her to push on and become a real contender for years to come.

That hasn’t quite materialized, however, as injury has stunted the Czech star’s development, leaving her currently ranked outside the world’s top 30.

Winning one Slam and failing to add to that tally isn’t a rare phenomenon on the WTA Tour, as several active players are stuck on just one Major title.

Vondrousova’s victory over Jabeur at Wimbledon two years ago, saw her become one of nine active WTA stars with one Grand Slam title.

A ridiculous number, that becomes even harder to believe when compared to what we currently see on the ATP Tour.

Just two active men’s players have won a singular Grand Slam title, with both reaching several Major finals where they came up just short.

• Marin Cilic – Won 2014 US Open (Lost 2017 Wimbledon final, 2018 Australian Open final)
• Daniil Medvedev – Won 2021 US Open (Lost 2019 US Open final, 2021 Australian Open final, 2022 Australian Open final, 2023 US Open final, 2024 Australian Open final)

It remains to be seen if Daniil Medvedev, Marin Cilic, Marketa Vondrousova, or any of the many WTA one-time Slam winners can double their tally in the new year, but they’ll certainly be hoping to do so at the Australian Open which begins on January 12.

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