Belarusian World No. 1 Battles Nerves and Errors to Book Spot Against Anisimova

Aryna Sabalenka, the world’s top-ranked tennis player, overcame a scare from German opponent Laura Siegemund to reach the semifinals of Wimbledon 2025. The Belarusian, known for her dominant straight-set victories in previous grand slam matches, found herself in a thrilling three-set battle against the 37-year-old Siegemund.

Sabalenka, 24, has been on a tear this season, winning her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January and rising to the top of the world rankings. The Minsk native has been one of the most consistent players on the WTA tour, with a strong serve and powerful forehand that has earned her a reputation as one of the most feared players on the court.

However, Sabalenka’s struggles with her nerves and errors early in the match were a rare sight. The Belarusian, known for her confidence and poise, committed a double fault and hit a forehand long in the opening set. Siegemund, however, was unfazed, using her nimble movement and court coverage to take a 3-0 lead. Despite a brief resurgence from Sabalenka, Siegemund held serve and broke her opponent again to take the first set 6-4.

The second set saw Sabalenka’s struggles continue, with a third double fault and a wild shot into the stands handing Siegemund a crucial break. However, the Belarusian managed to hold serve and eventually broke back to level the set at 5-5. In the end, Sabalenka’s determination paid off, as she took the set 6-2.

The decisive third set was a back-and-forth affair, with Sabalenka storming out to a 2-0 lead after holding serve to love. However, Siegemund fought back, breaking Sabalenka’s serve after a great rally and holding to level the set at 2-2. The two players continued to trade breaks, with Sabalenka eventually emerging victorious 6-4.

Sabalenka will now face 13th seed Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals, who had little trouble dispatching Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 7-6 in her quarterfinal match. With her win, Sabalenka has secured her 11th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance, a testament to her consistency and dominance on the court.