Sabalenka Dominates Branstine and Advances to the Second Round at Wimbledon

The world No. 1 made no mistakes in her Wimbledon debut. Absent last year, Aryna Sabalenka returned to the London Grand Slam for her first-round match against qualifier Carson Branstine.

The Canadian had notably defeated Loïs Boisson in the first round of qualifying, but the draw was not particularly kind to the 24-year-old, ranked 190th in the world.

After a perfectly controlled first set, Sabalenka had to work harder in the second. Though she wasn’t broken, the Belarusian saw Branstine grow more comfortable on her own service games.

Nevertheless, with her experience, the finalist of the season’s first two Grand Slams in Melbourne and Roland-Garros delivered a strong return game at 5-5 before sealing the match in the following game.

Sabalenka ultimately triumphed (6-1, 7-5 in 1 hour and 11 minutes) and advanced to the second round. For a spot in the last 16, the two-time semifinalist in 2021 and 2023 at Wimbledon will face either Lulu Sun or Marie Bouzkova, who play their match on Monday.

This marks Sabalenka’s 43rd win of the season, solidifying her status as one of the top favorites for the title this year in the English capital. The Belarusian later shared her thoughts on her victory with Wimbledon’s media.

"I’m very happy to be back, to be healthy. It’s always an honor to play in this amazing tournament. Last year, I was really depressed not to feel the atmosphere on these courts.

I’m very pleased with my performance. Thank you all for the support. If someone had told me one day I’d play a first-round match at Wimbledon in a packed stadium, I would never have believed it," Sabalenka said on court after her win.