Aryna Sabalenka knows all about loud crowds. Remember how the Belarusian was cheered on during her Madrid run this year? The Brazilian fans gave it their all, pushing her all the way to the final—and she even gave them a special shout-out. But when it comes to her opponent’s home crowd, things are different. It’s never easy for any player! So, what helped Sabalenka drown out the noise and snag another win?
On Friday, Aryna faced Emma Raducanu in the Wimbledon third round. But she wasn’t just up against the 2021 US Open champ—she was battling 15,000 fans who made their support for the British No. 1 impossible to miss! It was a tough fight, but Sabalenka held her ground.
She clinched her spot in the round of 16 after a few nail-biting moments, winning 7-6 (8-6), 6-4. In her post-match chat, she revealed her secret: “Guys, wow. What an atmosphere. I mean, my ears are still hurting. It was super loud! Honestly, every time you were cheering her up, I was just trying to tell myself ‘just pretend they cheering for you’ and I was getting goosebumps! It was just wow, thank you for the atmosphere!” The roof was closed, making every ball strike echo, but the crowd’s energy was the real star.
“My ears are still hurting.”
Aryna Sabalenka couldn’t believe how loud it was on Centre Court! #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/bvAXdjl7S7
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 4, 2025
Right from the start, Raducanu was ready to rumble. She pressured Sabalenka with aggressive forehands, sharp returns, and solid serving. The crowd erupted after every Raducanu winner, and that pressure paid off with the opening break. Even when Sabalenka pulled the set back to 5-4, Raducanu raised her game.
At 4-5, with the set slipping away, Emma made a fierce stand on her serve. Aryna controlled the baseline, but Raducanu kept fighting. Every time she faced a set point, she answered with a clutch serve. After saving seven set points, she held to level at 5-5, then broke to lead 6-5, sending the crowd wild.
Sabalenka bounced back immediately, breaking to force a tiebreak. When Raducanu reached 6-5 in the tiebreak after Aryna’s error, it looked like she might seal the set. But the No.1 showed her class, saving Raducanu’s only set point with a perfect drop shot and finishing the 75-minute set with a drop-volley winner. Raducanu stayed intense in the second set, breaking early and even threatening a 5-1 lead. But the Belarusian’s mental toughness shone through.
Still, Sabalenka praised Emma’s grit: “Honestly, guys, she played such incredible tennis and pushed me so hard for this win. I fought every point like crazy. Super happy with the win, happy to see her back.”
It’s a big step forward for the top seed! Last year, she missed Wimbledon due to injury. Now, she’s cruising into the round of 16 and is one of the top 10 seeds to make it past the early rounds.
Aryna Sabalenka gets real about her emotions after 2024 Wimbledon let down
On Monday, Sabalenka stayed cool on No. 1 Court, cruising past Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine in straight sets in just 74 minutes. Coming off a tough loss at the French Open and a semifinal exit in Berlin, this win clearly moved her. After the match, she got a bit emotional reflecting on her return after missing last year.
She said, “I’m super happy to be back, to be healthy. To compete at this beautiful tournament. I was really depressed last year that I couldn’t feel this atmosphere. I’m super happy with the performance. Happy to get through. Thank you guys for bringing such a great atmosphere. If someone would’ve told me that one day, I’d play the first match at Wimbledon with a full, crowded stadium, I wouldn’t believe it. Thank you so much.” That’s heartfelt!
What happened? Sabalenka’s 2024 season hit a rough patch after illness at Roland Garros, where she lost in the quarterfinals to 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva. Then a rare shoulder injury forced her to retire mid-match in Berlin—the first time she ever quit a pro match—and withdraw from Wimbledon just hours before her first-round game.
Now, she’s among the last seeded players left, alongside Iga Swiatek, Mirra Andreeva, and Emma Navarro as the final top-10 contenders. Up next is her former doubles partner Elise Mertens. Can Aryna Sabalenka pull off another upset and reach the quarterfinals? We’d love to hear your thoughts! And don’t forget, catch all the Wimbledon drama on our Live Blog!
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