LONDON — Aryna Sabalenka faced a formidable challenge in the Wimbledon quarterfinals against an opponent with an unorthodox playing style. Errors began to accumulate Tuesday, heightening her stress and deepening her deficit.
As the match progressed, Sabalenka cast perplexed glances at her support team, her hands raised in disbelief. After misfiring a forehand from a short ball, she sank to her knees on the grass, embodying sheer frustration. Just a month after falling to Coco Gauff in the French Open final, she knew it was crucial to maintain composure and refine her technique.
And she rose to the occasion just in time. Despite dropping the first set and facing a break deficit twice in the third, Sabalenka clawed back, winning the final three games to secure her place in the semifinals at the All England Club, defeating the 104th-ranked Laura Siegemund 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 on Centre Court.
“She really challenged me,” said Sabalenka, who has held the No. 1 ranking since last October. “After losing the first set, I looked towards my box, thinking, ‘Guys, maybe book the tickets. We might be leaving this lovely city soon.’”
Wimbledon remains the only Grand Slam where Sabalenka hasn’t reached the final. She has a chance to change that this week if she can overcome No. 13 Amanda Anisimova from the United States on Thursday. Anisimova advanced to her first major semifinal since the 2019 French Open, defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 7-6 (9).
The first men’s semifinal was also confirmed on Tuesday: No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning champion, will face No. 5 Taylor Fritz.
Sabalenka has already claimed two Australian Open titles and a U.S. Open title, and she was the runner-up at both this year’s Australian Open (losing to Madison Keys) and French Open (losing to Gauff).
The 27-year-old Belarusian reached the Wimbledon semifinals in both 2021 and 2023.
Before Tuesday, Sabalenka hadn’t dropped a set during her Wimbledon run this year, yet she found herself challenged by the 37-year-old Siegemund, who was the oldest and lowest-ranked woman in the quarterfinals and had just two career titles.
With a career record of 2-5 at Wimbledon and a 4-9 record on tour in 2025, Siegemund’s ability to manipulate the depth, speed, angles, and spins of her shots posed a significant challenge for Sabalenka, leading to palpable frustration, especially in the final set.
“It’s not just an annoying game; it’s a clever strategy. She makes everyone work for every point,” Sabalenka remarked. “Regardless of your power or serving skills, you have to earn your victories.”
Trailing 4-3 in the final set, Sabalenka broke to kickstart her decisive run. In the subsequent game, she unleashed her two aces, clocking in at 103 mph and 116 mph.
As she sealed the match with a volley winner after nearly three hours of play, Sabalenka shut her eyes, spread her arms wide, and let out a jubilant scream.
What else transpired in the Wimbledon quarterfinals on Tuesday?
Alcaraz triumphed with a dominant 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 victory over unseeded Cam Norrie, the last British player in the singles draws. Additionally, 2024 U.S. Open runner-up Fritz rallied from a mid-match slump, achieving a 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4) victory over Karen Khachanov to reach the semifinals at the All England Club for the first time.
Who will compete in Wednesday’s quarterfinals at the All England Club?
The last two women’s matches feature No. 7 Mirra Andreeva facing Belinda Bencic, and No. 8 Iga Swiatek squaring off against No. 19 Liudmila Samsonova. In the men’s matches, No. 1 Jannik Sinner will challenge No. 10 Ben Shelton, while 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic takes on No. 22 Flavio Cobolli.
