Sabalenka and her dream of winning Wimbledon: "To hold that trophy has always been my dream"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 6 Jul 2025 | 21.29

Sabalenka and her dream of winning Wimbledon: "Holding that trophy has always been my dream." Photo: Getty Images

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Aryna Sabalenka has set her sights on winning her first title at Wimbledon. The winner of three Grand Slams already knows what it's like to play a final in the other three 'majors', but she is yet to play the ultimate match in the most special tournament. So far, she is living up to expectations and is already in the quarterfinals of the prestigious London tournament after a tough match against Elise Mertens (6-4, 7-6(4)).

If one thing is defining Aryna Sabalenka's Wimbledon, it's her ability to endure in all matches. She has put aside the overpowering mode she usually displays at the US Open and the Australian Open, and has rolled up her sleeves to push through matches on a surface as demanding and unpredictable as Wimbledon's grass. She has reached the semifinals here twice before, but this year might be her moment, given the multiple upsets in the seedings and her status as the queen of the circuit. Speaking about how special it would be for her to win in London, the support she is receiving from the British, her tough match against Mertens, and the challenge of facing Laura Siegemund, her next opponent, she discussed during the post-victory press conference.

Grateful for the encouragement from the British

"Today, I felt all the support. It was incredible to play and feel the cheering. I didn’t have to pretend they were rooting for me, because they truly were. What could be better than that? I enjoyed it a lot. I hope everything stays the same and they help me stay strong and face all the challenges."

Pleased to adapt to Mertens' playing style

"I knew she would try to slow down the game and go for all the slices. I just tried not to hit those balls too hard and, as much as I could, move closer to the net. That was basically the strategy. Maintain the aggressiveness and when she sliced, not rush and move towards the net."

A reliable player in Tie-Breaks

"I think not thinking about these statistics during the match helps me maintain focus from the beginning to the end of the tiebreak. Because the tiebreak is a tough match. Everything can go either way. You just need to focus on each point and be aggressive. No, don't, I don't know, slow down your arms, just go for your movements. Play as if it were a match and stay aggressive."

Aware of Siegemund's game

"It's tough. Especially on grass, when all those shots slow down and you have to be very low and work a lot with your legs. Especially on grass, her playing style can be very challenging. Yes, it's annoying. But I've faced many tough players. I think for me, personally, the main thing is not to rush and not get frustrated by her game, and focus on myself. I know that if I'm there, if I focus on myself and fight for each point, I know I have enough variety, that I have a strong game to handle those tricky shots."

Dreaming of lifting the Wimbledon trophy

"I think we all dream the same: Holding that trophy has always been my dream. I haven't achieved it yet. I've had many disappointments here. So, I really hope that someday I can experience it and we can talk about whether it's what I dreamed of."

Aspiring to approach the net more

"It's something we are trying to work on. You have to be very brave to approach the net. I don't think I'm that daring right now. But whenever I see the opportunity, I go to the net, and I trust my net game. Perhaps right now I don't know very well how to approach the net. For example, I'd love to hit many serves and volleys. Especially with my serves, I feel that sometimes I wait too much instead of moving to the net and finishing the point a bit earlier. It's something we are working on. I hope that someday I can do it on the court."

Embracing the challenges she has faced so far

"I think Roland Garros was also quite a challenge. I love these challenges. I think every time you go through these tough matches, you take your game to the next level, and that also helps you improve. I believe that with each match I play here, I improve mentally and physically. So, I love these tough challenges. I just hope to get better with each round."

About her frequent conversations with Djokovic

"There are many things. One of the conversations was about how to manage energy. Another about the mental aspect of the game. Then we had another conversation about how to mentally face the big finals. So yes, I think we mainly talk about the mental aspect of the game. I mean, he also once helped me a lot with the return. Now he always teases me by mimicking his return. And I tell him, 'Dude, it's working'. I'm imitating the best. Actually, maybe I need to talk to him a bit more about tennis-related things," stated Sabalenka, who finds in Djokovic the best example to pursue her first Wimbledon title. The Serbian has seven, but the competitiveness and hunger for victory are similar in both.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sabalenka y su ilusión por ganar Wimbledon: "Sostener ese trofeo siempre ha sido mi sueño"

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