Sabalenka confident of big run at Wimbledon

The Belarusian says she knows if she plays her best she has a great chance to win the title for the first time

Antoine Couvercelle / Panoramic

July 1, 2023

World No 2 Aryna Sabalenka says she’s confident of making a big run at Wimbledon.

Having missed last year’s event due to the ban n Russian and Belarusian players, Sabalenka is back at Wimbledon, this time as a Grand Slam champion, having won the Australian Open earlier this year.

“I’m pretty sure if I’m going to bring my best tennis, (if) I’ll be focused from the beginning till the end, I’m pretty sure that I can do really well at Wimbledon,” Sabalenka told reporters at Wimbledon on Saturday.

Sabalenka said she hardly watched last year’s event but was super-happy to be back. But though the monkey is off her back after her win in Australia, the Belarusian said she still needs to go out there and prove herself again.

“Australian Open title didn’t really affect my belief, to be honest, because it’s not giving anything to you,” she said. “You still have to go on court and show your best and fight for it. I mean, the only thing it’s giving me, that I know how to do it (smiling). Yeah, that’s the only thing.”

Aryna Sabalenka, Roland-Garros 2023 — AI / Reuters / Panoramic

Lessons learned from Roland-Garros

Sabalenka looked set to reach the final at Roland-Garros last month, only to fall in the semi-finals, beaten by Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in a tense three-set battle.

It was a defeat which hurt but Sabalenka said she had learned a few things that would help her at Wimbledon.

“That was a really tough, tough end of the tournament,” she said. “I was really disappointed with that loss. But then we spoke with my team. It was a good lesson for me. I just had few days off, and then start my preparation for the grass season.

“(The lesson was) no matter what, I have to keep trying, not like losing it easily, you know? Just keep trying things. Not going crazy on court. Understand that no matter what happened, I still have a lot of chances.”

Between them, Sabalenka, world No 1 Iga Swiatek and Wimbledon champion Elkena Rybakina have separated themselves from the rest in the past year but Sabalenka said she was taking nothing for granted.

“I saw a lot about big three and it’s really cool to be one of those great players,” she said. “Hopefully I can continue doing well. Of course, I think we are favourites here. But it doesn’t matter who is favourite, it’s all about your focus and your tennis.”

Sabalenka also said she would not be answering any questions about politics during the tournament.