"Book the tickets" - Aryna Sabalenka reveals she almost lost faith before stunning comeback against Laura Siegemund at Wimbledon

Aryna Sabalenka Wimbledon
Aryna Sabalenka pictured at Wimbledon 2025 | Image Source: Getty

Aryna Sabalenka had to fight tooth and nail to get past Germany’s Laura Siegemund in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. Though she eventually pulled through, she admitted the match pushed her to the brink, and at one point, she almost lost all faith.

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Sabalenka got off to a strong start at Wimbledon with a confident win over Carson Branstine. She followed it up with victories against Marie Bouzkova, Emma Raducanu, and Elise Mertens to secure her place in the quarterfinals.

Siegemund proved to be one of the toughest challenges for the World No. 1, second only to Raducanu. The 37-year-old was the only player to take a set off Sabalenka in the tournament so far, but despite her strong start, she couldn’t hold onto the lead and eventually fell 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

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Later, Aryna Sabalenka opened up about what was going through her mind after losing the first set to Siegemund. She admitted that at that moment, she looked over at her team and even considered booking a flight home from London, having completely lost faith in herself.

“I need some time to cool down and recover. She pushed me so much. After the first set, I was looking at my box like, ‘Guys, book the tickets. We’re about to leave this beautiful city,'" she said.
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The Belarusian will have a day off to recover before stepping back onto the grass at the All England Club for her semifinal clash against either Amanda Anisimova or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.


Aryna Sabalenka admits to being "annoyed" by Laura Siegemund during Wimbledon QF

Aryna Sabalenka pictured at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships | Image Source: Getty
Aryna Sabalenka pictured at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships | Image Source: Getty

Aryna Sabalenka breathed a sigh of relief after finally getting past Laura Siegemund to book her spot in the Wimbledon 2025 semifinals. During her on-court interview, when asked about Siegemund’s game, she gave an honest response, saying it was a tough match and admitting she was “a little annoyed” by her opponent’s style of play.

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Sabalenka said:

"She’s really making everyone work against her. Going into the match against her, you know you have to work for every point. Doesn’t matter if you’re a big server or hitter. You have to work. You have to run."
"I was trying to focus on myself and make sure I don’t give her that energy. I didn’t want her to see that I was annoyed by her. Even if I was a little bit at some points," she added further.

This is Sabalenka’s third appearance in the semifinals of the grasscourt Major. She previously reached this stage in 2021 and 2023 but fell short, losing to Karolina Pliskova and Ons Jabeur, respectively.

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Edited by Pritha Ghosh
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