Aryna Sabalenka is kicking off Wimbledon with a bang! After a rather disappointing end to her French Open campaign against Coco Gauff, the Belarusian came onto grass with renewed energy. She’s had successful runs at SW19 before, reaching the semis back in 2021 and 2023! Last year she was missing in action after claiming to being “not 100 percent fit” to take on the prestigious Centre Courts. But this time, she’s back as the top seed, how does she feel?
On Moday, Sabalenka drowned the Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine in straight sets. On a record hot opening day, Sabalenka was as cool as a refreshing glass of Pimm’s on No. 1 Court, winning in 73 minutes! That’s impressive right? Not to mention, she’s a clear favorite to take the crown this year against Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and Coco Gauff and is the only one in the Top 10 seed list to have made it to the semis twice besides Jasmine Paolini, who was the 2024 finalist!
But speaking at the post-match interview, she couldn’t hold back from getting a little emotional over her comeback to the tournament after last year. She admitted, “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.” Isn’t that sweet?
Aryna Sabalenka after beating Branstine at Wimbledon
“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… pic.twitter.com/KYWSIk7qwP
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 30, 2025
But what happened that kept her out? Well, Aryna Sabalenka’s 2024 season hit a snag 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. “It’s teres major,” Sabalenka told the WTA website. “It’s a very specific and rare injury. Probably I’m just the second or third player to injure that muscle. It’s really frustrating.”
The toughest part? She can practice and hit groundstrokes but struggles with serving. “The most annoying thing is that I can do anything except serve. That’s really annoying,” she said. This injury had sidelined a top star at a crucial time, but Sabalenka’s determination to come back was stronger!
Now she’s made it into yet another round two at Wimbledon! Will she keep up the momentum and make a deep run this time around? Only time will tell. After all, she began her grass campaign on a rocky note since her controversy with Coco Gauff.
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