World No.1 Sabalenka Reaches Wimbledon Semis After Three-Hour Victory

World number one Aryna Sabalenka survived a near-upset against 37-year-old Laura Siegemund in a grueling Wimbledon quarter-final, winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 after almost three hours on Centre Court. Sabalenka credited her emotional resilience and lessons learned from her French Open final loss for helping her overcome Siegemund's crafty, vintage-style play that disrupted her powerful game. Despite being pushed to the brink, Sabalenka rallied from a set down and saved a match point, praising Siegemund's smart and relentless game that forced her to fight for every point. With this victory, Sabalenka reached her 12th Grand Slam semifinal and became the first player to qualify for the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh. She now faces 13th seed Amanda Anisimova, who holds a favorable head-to-head record but was recently defeated by Sabalenka at the French Open, in a match Sabalenka anticipates will be fiercely competitive. This win keeps Sabalenka's hopes alive for her maiden Wimbledon title and a third Grand Slam final appearance this year, following runner-up finishes at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.