Aryna Sabalenka clarified that she didn’t label Laura Siegemund’s playing style as “annoying” following her victory over the 104th-ranked German player to secure a spot in the Wimbledon semi-finals on Tuesday.
During a post-match chat, BBC’s Lee Mackenzie brought up Siegemund and suggested she had a way of disrupting her opponent’s game.
Sabalenka quickly intervened, saying that Siegemund had previously remarked on feeling her own style could be annoying to others.
“You mentioned that Laura had an annoying game in a ‘free way’,” Mackenzie said.
“I didn’t say that,” Sabalenka, 27, responded. “No, no, I didn’t say that.”
“To clarify, she was asked about having an annoying game, but I didn’t say that,” she added.
Mackenzie noted that Sabalenka seemed to stay true to herself and mentioned that Siegemund demonstrated confidence in their two-hour, 54-minute quarter-final match.
“It’s not an annoying style; it’s actually smart,” Sabalenka pointed out. “She really makes you work for every point, keeping you engaged throughout the match.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a strong server or a hitter; you have to be ready to put in the effort and win. Honestly, I focused on my approach and trying not to feed into that energy.”
In the match, the world’s top-ranked player came back from a set down to win 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in what turned out to be a decisive third set.
“She really pushed me,” Sabalenka mentioned. “After the first set, I glanced over at my team, thinking, ‘Everyone, you might want to book your tickets home. We might be leaving this lovely place soon.'”
In a post-match press conference, Sabalenka stressed the importance of managing her emotions, reflecting on her previous performance at the French Open, where she made numerous errors against Coco Gauff.
“Honestly, I believe if I hadn’t learned from that match at the French Open, I could have easily lost today,” Sabalenka said. “I kept reminding myself of my dream and why I shouldn’t give up easily. So, I had to fight through the tough moments.”
Next up, Sabalenka will face the 13th seed, Amanda Anisimova, in the semi-finals scheduled for Thursday.
