"I think I got lucky," Sabalenka reflects on her victory against Rybakina in Berlin

© AFP

Adrien Guyot

le 21/06/2025 à 07h38

2 min to read

Berlin Rybakina Sabalenka

After an epic match, Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the semifinals of the WTA 500 in Berlin. With her back against the wall in her match against Elena Rybakina, the Belarusian, trailing 6-2 in the third-set tiebreak, ultimately found the strength to win 8-6, saving four consecutive match points.

Following the match, the world No. 1 reacted to her hard-fought victory against the Kazakh player in a nail-biting battle against one of her biggest rivals (7-6, 3-6, 7-6 in 2 hours and 42 minutes).

"Elena (Rybakina) is a great player; we’ve had so many battles against each other. I have no idea how I managed to win those last points. I think I got lucky, to be honest. I remember a few years ago, when I was starting my career, I won quite a few matches after saving match points.

Recently, I was actually thinking about that and telling myself it had been a while since it last happened. Winning matches like this is incredible. I’m proud of myself, of how I fought until the very end. I gave everything until the last point," said Sabalenka, who will now face Vondrousova for a spot in the final.

"Marketa (Vondrousova) is a tricky player to handle; she has great touch and uses the slice really well. Her game is very effective on grass. It’s going to be a real challenge, but I’m looking forward to facing her," concluded Aryna Sabalenka, who is aiming for her eighth final on the main tour in 2025, as reported by the WTA’s official website.