"It's very sad" - Aryna Sabalenka reacts to shock Wimbledon upsets ft. Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula & others in just first 2 days

Aryna Sabalenka kept the hopes of her maiden Wimbledon title by ousting Marie Bouzkova in the second round. After her match, the Belarusian expressed her excitement on the win but also spoke up on how unfortunate it was for players like Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula to bid an early farewell to the tournament.

On the opening two days of the tournament, a record number of seeds, which includes eight top 10 players across both men's and women's draws, exited SW19. The two-time Wimbledon semifinalist defeated the Czech 7-6(4), 6-4, racing a 91-25 win-loss record at Grand Slams.

Booking her place in the third round, Sabalenka admitted that it was extremely 'sad' that some of her most challenging opponents had to exit the tournament early. However, she takes every match as it comes and isn't thinking about it much. During the on-court interview, she said:

“It’s very sad to see so many top players lose in the first round. As the time shows, you better focus on yourself and stay away from the results. Of course you’re gonna know the overall picture. But it’s better to take it one step at a time and do your best every time you’re out here competing. I’m trying to stay away. I hope it’s no upsets anymore in this tournament… if you know what I mean”

Aryna Sabalenka will face the winner of the match between 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova and British No. 1 Emma Raducanu.

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Aryna Sabalenka gives her verdict on women playing best-of-5 set matches

Aryna Sabalenka speaks on the possibility of women's five-set matches - Image Source: Getty

Breezing past Canada's Carson Branstine in the first round of Wimbledon on June 30, Aryna Sabalenka weighed in on the topic of women playing best-of-five set matches. She opposed the idea and claimed that it was too much for women to endure, making them prone to injuries.

In the post-match press conference, Sabalenka said:

"Probably physically I’m one of the strongest ones, so maybe it would benefit me. But I think I’m not ready to play five sets. I think it’s too much on the woman’s body. I think we’re not ready for this amount of tennis. I think it would increase the amount of injuries. So I think this is not something I would consider."

The World No. 1 also went on to speak highly of the physical strength that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner demonstrated in the men's singles final at the French Open.