"I am happy but this is not my final goal" - Aryna Sabalenka on reaching maiden Slam QF at Wimbledon

Grand Slams had always been an Achilles' heel for Aryna Sabalenka. Even when she arrived at a Major with all the momentum on her side, the Belarusian would invariably crash out in the most unexpected manner before the quarterfinal stage.

Sabalenka has finally corrected that at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, which happens to be her 15th appearance in the main draw of a Major. With a gritty 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win over 18th seed Elena Rybakina on Monday, the World No. 4 has booked her spot in a Slam quarterfinal for the very first time.

Having finally got the monkey off her back, Sabalenka expressed relief during her post-match press conference. However, she also claimed that she can't afford to relax when she has, potentially, three more rounds to play.

"I am happy but this is not my final goal," Aryna Sabalenka said. "I'm trying to be happy but at the same time be focused and be ready for the next match because it's not an easy one. But I am happy that I finally broke this wall."

It still wasn't easy for Aryna Sabalenka on Monday. The Belarusian almost gave in to her emotions towards the closing stages of her duel with Rybakina, before managing to calm herself down in time and finish the job.

"In the last game when I was up 30-love I was almost crying because at that moment I felt like everything was going well," Sabalenka recounted. "I was a few points from my first personal goal in the Grand Slams."

Even though the second seed did have her moments of doubt against an aggressive hitter like Rybakina, she steadied herself in the third set by serving well. The 23-year-old finished with 10 aces and just a couple of double faults, which are impressive numbers at any stage of a tournament.

She also powered 33 winners to 31 unforced errors, with many of those winners coming in the decider. The fact that she was able to serve well and stay aggressive against Rybakina in the all-important third set was what made the difference, as Sabalenka herself explained.

"Against Elena it’s really important to serve well because she’s serving really well," Sabalenka said. "It’s really tough to do something on her serve. I'm really happy with the third set, in the last two games, I was dominating. I kind of put her under pressure. I was staying aggressive. I was following my game."

Aryna Sabalenka recalls Roland Garros 2020 meeting with Ons Jabeur, says she was "really nervous"

Aryna Sabalenka celebrates her win against Elena Rybakina

Next up for Sabalenka is the crafty Ons Jabeur, who became the first Arab woman to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals on Monday. The two have split their previous meetings but their first face-off took place at Roland Garros last year, which went the way of the Tunisian in three sets.

Recalling that match, Sabalenka admitted that she got nervous as the match progressed and put unnecessary pressure on herself to win it. She asserted that she needs to be aggressive this time around and not let Jabeur dictate the play if she wants to advance to her first Grand Slam semifinal.

"I was really nervous," admitted the Madrid champion. "I really wanted to win that match. I wasn't staying aggressive and was just trying to put the ball back against her."

"This is what I shouldn't do because if she has the time she will dictate the game," Sabalenka added. "When I lost the match, I understood that I have to stay aggressive and follow my game. This time I will try to stay aggressive and try to focus on my game."