Aryna Sabalenka was forced to dig deep in the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Tuesday, as the world No 1 fended off a spirited challenge from 37-year-old doubles specialist Laura Siegemund.
Sabalenka, a two-time grand slam champion, continues her pursuit of a first Wimbledon title, having fought from behind to see off Siegemund 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 on Centre Court.
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Siegemund showed off a dynamic game but could not overcome the powerful Sabalenka, who prevented the German from beating her best singles result at a grand slam.
Siegemund holds two major crowns in mixed doubles, having won the French Open last year and the US Open in 2016, and she also possesses a slam title in women’s doubles: the 2020 US Open. But as a singles player, Siegemund has never passed the quarter-finals, which she reached in Paris in 2020 and again this week.
Numerous top seeds had fallen in the early stages of the women’s draw, but Sabalenka avoided such a fate in week one and was able to keep marching here.
Siegemund showed immense threat from the get-go, breaking Sabalenka’s serve in the very first game, before turning that into a double break. Sabalenka, 27, immediately got one of those breaks back, and the players traded another break each as the set went on.
In a 5-4 lead, Siegemund earned rapturous applause as she moved to 30-0, outfoxing the Belarusian in an entertaining point, before wrapping up a hold of serve and the first set.
Throughout, the German was utilising crouching slices to neutralise Sabalenka’s power, while she often played remarkably deft drop shots immediately after her own serves.
There was another trade of breaks early in the third set, as Sabalenka moved to 2-0 then saw the deficit reduced to 2-1, and Siegemund levelled the set with a hold to love – sliding to the turf as she converted game point at the net.
At 3-2 in Sabalenka’s favour, Siegemund was on course for a straightforward hold of serve but let the game slip, and it was comfortable for Sabalenka from there on out. The world No 1 even broke Siegemund’s serve again for a 5-2 lead, and despite Siegemund showing resolve to save a set point, Sabalenka converted the next.
An early break from Siegemund early in the third set had her back on course for a huge upset, but Sabalenka fought back to tie the third set at 3-3.
There, the 27-year-old saved break point, but she lassoed a forehand wide to give Siegemund another chance, before netting a backhand that put Siegemund within two games of the semi-finals.
Yet at 4-3, Siegemund was forced to fend off numerous break points, and her resistance and serve were broken when she sliced a forehand beyond the baseline.
Sabalenka held serve and, despite Siegemund saving match point, was able to produce one more break to dismiss the underdog, booking a spot in the final four as a result.
“She pushed me so much,” Sabalenka said on court after her win. “Honestly, after the first set, I was saying to my box: ‘Book the tickets, about to leave this beautiful city.’
“But she played an incredible tournament. I’m so happy to win, the atmosphere was incredible. It’s a smart game, she makes everyone work against her, you have to work for every point.
“It’s beautiful if you’ve made it to the second week, you’re achieving your dreams. You have to enjoy your life.”
Sabalenka previously reached the semi-finals in SW19 in 2021 and 2023, while her three major titles have come at the Australian Open (2023, 2024) and US Open (2024).
As well as seeking a first Wimbledon final, Sabalenka is aiming to put behind her the heartbreak of losing this year’s French Open final.
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