THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 4, 2025

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/E. Raducanu

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Aryna, that was a battle, but you came through. Happy with your performance?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, of course, I'm happy with the win. It was a battle. She really pushed me to the limit today. I'm super happy with the win.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Given how tense the match was, how did you find dealing both with the tight moments because of Emma, but also with the tension that the crowd was putting into the match?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, yeah, first of all, she played incredible level. Secondly, the crowd -- I mean, I played enough in the States against American, and there it's, like, super crazy.

Honestly, I'm super grateful that people were respectful and really polite during the points. Even though they were cheering for her between the points, during the point I was able to focus, and they were really polite once again. So I think that's really help me to stay in the game and to be there to fight for every point. I'm super happy that I was able to be that focused.

Q. Obviously the atmosphere was incredible tonight. What was it like to actually play under the roof? In terms of Emma, you said she could propel herself back into the top 10. How do you foresee the way things are going to go for her in the coming months?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I mean, I cannot predict anything, but I definitely sure that, maybe not in a month, but maybe a bit longer period, but she definitely going to get back in top.

She's fighting. She's playing much better. She's more consistent. I can see that mentally she's healthy. I think that's really important. Yeah, I'm pretty sure she's getting there.

About the atmosphere... yeah, sometimes my ears were, like, really blocked from how loud it was, but I really enjoyed. I was trying to trick my brain, and I was pretending that people were cheering for me (smiling). Sometimes when they were screaming 'Emma', it sounded like Aryna. I don't know why.

I think that's why I wasn't really getting, like, annoyed by that.

Q. On court you mentioned you had moments in the past where you'd lost yourself a bit. Obviously the French Open. How important was it to have a performance like this where, under pressure, you were composed?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, as I said, I kind of happy for what happened to me at the French Open because I had chance to sit back and to look at everything in perspective and realize a lot of things about myself.

I kind of, like, feel that I'm a different person. I learned from that difficult lesson. Yeah, as you said, because of the recent experience, I was just keep telling myself, No, you just cannot let it happen again. Whatever happens on the court, you just have to be respectful, you have to be calm, and you just have to keep trying and keep fighting.

I was just reminding myself that I'm strong enough, and I can handle this pressure.

Q. When you have the last set point, I said to the person next to me, If Aryna wins this, the noise will be incredible. Then you were silent. You were completely silent when you won the set. I wondered how hard that is, if you're fighting your instincts in a way because you want to celebrate.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Honestly, I didn't have any energy to scream. I was, like, it's only one minute and a half, I think, in between. Do not waste your energy. I just did a fist pump to my team. I was like, Okay, be quiet. Keep everything you have left in you, just keep it inside. Yeah, the job is not done. It's just the first set, so that's whey probably I was quiet.

Even after winning the match, I was kind of, like, tired to scream.

Q. Was there a conscious effort no letting it overtake you?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Maybe that's also a reason why I was super quiet in that moment. Probably I was just, like, trying to hold myself, hold my emotions.

Q. Holding your emotions, that game, the 13-minute long game...

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, it was a tough one.

Q. She broke again. I thought maybe other players or even you years ago would have gone to pieces there, racquets smashed.

ARYNA SABALENKA: No, the fine is pretty crucial here (smiling).

Q. I saw you at some points in that game wobbling your shoulders and going next one. Can you talk me through your thought process in those moments.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Honestly, I think just because I'm experienced enough, I had, as you said, maybe earlier in my career I would just lose it and I would just go crazy and lose that set 7-5. But with the years, with the experience, I learned that this is not it. Like, she also kind of under pressure and she has to go and serve for the match.

The balls were quite heavy. I think we played few games with the new balls, so they were quite heavy. I knew that it's not going to be like ace, ace, ace. I'll have my opportunity.

I was just, like, trying to focus on the tactic and on things what I have to do to get back in this set. It's really helped. I think experience solved a lot of problems (smiling).

Q. Did a third-round match like that, coming through in straight sets, how much does that give you confidence to build on for the rest of the tournament?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, once again, as my experience shows, it doesn't matter. Like, this win doesn't mean that I'm going to win the tournament. It doesn't mean anything. It's just a great match.

It definitely gives me, like, a lot of energy and good feeling that I was under pressure, it was a great match, it was a great battle, and I was able to get the win. That's why I love sport. It's all about challenging yourself. When you go through tough challenges and you get the win, it's the best feeling.

So I'll just enjoy it tonight. Tomorrow I'm going to focus on the next one.

Q. You just mentioned the new ball. Emma was talking about she was a little bit struggling with finding right tension of the strings. How about you? Did you find the right tension or can you adjust quickly?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I had to change my tension. I also asked my team for a bit stronger tension because, yeah, because of the closed roof I guess humidity was a bit higher and the balls were flying more. Then with the new balls when you serve, it's flying even more. Yeah, you definitely have to play a little bit with the strings, with the tension.

Yeah, I'm glad that I found good tension for me, so I felt pretty comfortable.

Q. Emma said she had to have her team restring. It took 20 minutes. Do you have a racquet ready with different strings?

ARYNA SABALENKA: That's more to have an extra racquet, maybe not in your bag, but your team. For example, my team, they always have like two extra racquet with the higher tension and two extra racquets with lower tension. They prepare it. You don't have to wait for another racquet.

I also had really terrible experience at French Open in year when I lost in semis against Muchova because I didn't have racquet. We weren't prepared. I didn't have a right tension. I had to play with a lower tension. I didn't control the ball, didn't feel well.

After that experience we learned it's four extra racquets in my team's bag just in case. You never know. You can wake up and feel great with one tension. Another day you wake up and you don't feel at all. You got to be prepared.