Markéta Vondrousova's Injury Allowed Aryna Sabalenka to Waltz Into the U.S. Open Semifinals

The world of professional tennis can be very unpredictable. Markéta Vondrousova was on a tough quest to capture the second Grand Slam title of her career during the 2025 edition of the U.S. Open, but a strange development prevented her from getting her hands on the trophy.

The Czech tennis professional made it to the second week of a Grand Slam for the eighth time in her career, positioning her as a strong contender for any championship.

The stage was set for Markéta to make a statement during the 2025 U.S. Open. The field was crowded during the second week of the tournament, but the Czech looked determined to push through the adversities presented to her along the way.

What happened to Markéta Vondrousova? Here's what we know about what kept the WTA star from attempting to win gold in New York City.

According to ESPN, Markéta Vondrousova withdrew from the 2025 U.S. Open due to a knee injury. The Czech was scheduled to play against Aryna Sabalenka, an athlete who had already won three Grand Slam titles by the time she was scheduled to face Marketa.

The Czech WTA star was set to appear on the court for the match, but she finally accepted that her knee wasn't up for it during the warm-up for the event.

Judging by how late Markéta reported the injury, it appears that the tennis professional did everything in her power to push through the pain and battle Aryna. In the end, Markéta had to prioritize her health ahead of the season's Asian swing during the fall.

Her withdrawal gave Aryna a swift arrival to the semifinals of the tournament, leaving the defending champion two victories away from retaining her crown in New York.

Even if the 2025 U.S. Open turned out to be disappointing for Markéta and her fans, the Czech player has won gold at the highest level of tennis before. She captured the trophy during the 2023 edition of Wimbledon, where she beat Ons Jabeur in the final.

Iga Swiatek and Aryna were the top seeds at the tournament, but they fell to Elina Svitolina and Madison Keys, respectively. With the top two players in the world out of the picture, Markéta had a clear path to victory.

She joined a long list of players who have only won one Grand Slam in their career. Madison Keys, Sofia Kenin, and Jelena Ostapenko are some of the other players who have only tasted tennis glory once.

If Markéta manages to handle her knee injury before the start of the New Year, the Czech will be able to try again at the 2026 Australian Open. The first Grand Slam of the season will also be played on hard courts.

With a swift entry into the semifinals, Aryna was now scheduled to face Jessica Pegula for a chance to enter the final. The encounter was established as a rematch of the 2024 final, where Aryna walked away with the trophy.

On her path to the quarterfinals, Markéta defeated Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini, McCartney Kessler, and Magda Linette.