London (AFP) – World number one Aryna Sabalenka fought back from the brink of a shock Wimbledon exit to reach the semi-finals with a gutsy 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win against Germany’s Laura Siegemund on Tuesday.
Sabalenka twice trailed by a break in the final set on Centre Court and was two games away from crashing out before staging a dramatic revival to win in two hours and 54 minutes of unrelenting tension.
The 27-year-old top seed is through to the All England Club semi-finals for the third time after losing at that stage in 2021 and 2023.
Beaten in the Australian and French Open finals this year after winning the US Open in 2024, Sabalenka remains on course to reach a fourth successive Grand Slam title match.
The Belarusian will face American 13th seed Amanda Anisimova or Russian world number 50 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for a place in the final.
“That was a real test. I need some time to cool down and recover after this,” Sabalenka said.
“She pushed me so much. After the first set I was looking at my box and thinking, ‘book the tickets, we are about to leave this beautiful place’.
“She played an incredible tournament and match. She is really making everyone work against her, you know you have to work for every point.
“I’m just super happy with the match and win.”
Sabalenka remains the only one of the top six women’s seeds still standing at the tournament after two weeks of shocks.
The three-time Grand Slam champion nearly joined that list of high-profile exits in a memorable clash.
World number 104 Siegemund, who has fared better as a doubles player in her career, was in just her second Grand Slam singles quarter-final, but she produced an impressive display that kept Sabalenka off-balance for long spells.
The 37-year-old’s surprise run had included a victory over Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the third round.
It took everything Sabalenka had to avoid becoming Siegemund’s latest scalp.
When Sabalenka served up a double-fault and two unforced errors in the final set, Siegemund was within touching distance of the semi-finals.
But Sabalenka refused to surrender, breaking again as the emotional rollercoaster continued, before finally sealing her victory with a roar of relief.
“It doesn’t matter if you are a big hitter, big server, you have to work, you have to run and to earn the victory,” Sabalenka said after dropping a set for the first time in the tournament.
“I had to make sure I didn’t show I was annoyed by her, even if I was slightly, I didn’t want to give her that energy.
“It is tough, but beautiful. If you make the second week, it means you are achieving your goals and dreams.”
