"She pushed me to my absolute limit," Sabalenka reflects on her hard-fought win against Siegemund at Wimbledon
Aryna Sabalenka did not have a relaxing afternoon on Centre Court. Facing 37-year-old Laura Siegemund in the first women's quarterfinal at Wimbledon, the Belarusian player endured a nerve-wracking battle, trailing by a break twice in the third set.
Ultimately, the world No. 1 pulled through in a nail-biting finish after nearly three hours of play against the German (4-6, 6-2, 6-4). On the court, Sabalenka reacted to the victory, which secures her a spot in her third semifinal at Wimbledon, following losses in 2021 to Pliskova and in 2023 to Jabeur.
"I’ll need some time to let the pressure settle and to recover. She pushed me to my absolute limit. After the first set, I looked at my team and told them, ‘Guys, book the plane tickets. We’re about to leave this beautiful city.’
I wouldn’t say Laura (Siegemund) has an annoying game—more like a smart one. She’s the kind of player who makes you work when you face her. Preparing for this match, I knew I had to fight for every single point.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a big server or a big hitter, you have to work, you have to run. I tried to focus on myself to avoid giving her that extra energy.
I didn’t want to show her that her game was bothering me. Though I think I struggled to hide it at times," Sabalenka concluded in her post-match interview with *The Tennis Letter*.
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