THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 1, 2026

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/M. Kessler

6-1, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Aryna, happy to get that one done today?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, super happy to get this win. I'm extremely happy I was able to close it in straight sets. That was very tough battle and I'm super happy I was able to handle it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Concerning your record in recent three-set matches, how concerned were you when the tiebreak started in the second set that it might go to a third set?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I didn't really think about that. What is wrong with my three-set statistics?

Q. I was referring to your defeat in the French Open and Berlin afterwards.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Berlin in the second round, I won in three sets.

I wasn't really concerned at all. I'm not trying to stay in the past or in the future. I'm trying to stay present.

Anyway, I'm happy I was able to close it in two sets.

Q. Playing on the grass, how do you find the slipping and sliding and falling over element? A few players have had that. Do you embrace that? Do you practice that kind of thing?

ARYNA SABALENKA: No, no, no. I think I'm the one who's like trying to, I mean not trying, but sometimes over-protective. Sometimes by accident I can slide and I get really surprised that I can do it.

I'm trying not to do it. One wrong move and you can twist your ankle. I'm trying to avoid it. I'm trying to work as fast as possible, move my feet as fast as possible, just so I don't have to slide. Trying to, yeah, staying low and move as fast as possible.

Q. Have you taken any falls on the grass before, fallen over on the baseline?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Maybe sometimes. Like if I fall or something?

Q. Yes.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Maybe a couple times it happened to me. Also seeing Jannik in the first round, that hip crack, that was really loud. Sometimes it stay in the back of my mind.

I'm just trying to not do extra step. Sometimes I feel like I'm a small cat getting to the ball (laughter).

Yeah, I mean, it happens sometimes. It's all about how you can recover from that fall.

Q. Back to the comment of Serbian player Teodora. When you were a young player like her, those kind of messages, was it more like her self-confidence that boost her confidence even more or did you get it as a message to opponent? The reaction of even media in Serbia were making fun of her because the way how her expressed that her shots are so strong. Was it more like herself boosting or sending a message?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Me looking at this and then going to the match and see the reality, I think it was more like she was trying to trick herself. She was just trying to boost that self-belief that she actually didn't have.

I don't know. Sometimes it works. It always depends on the personality. Sometimes you have to really fake it till you make it, or sometimes you have to be, I don't know, stay grounded and be real, work with what you have.

So for me, the message, I would understand if it would be reasonable, but I went on the match and I was just, like, which power she was talking about.

So I don't know. Sometimes it works if you actually have that self-belief. If you're just trying to fake it and you don't actually believe in it, it's not going to work. It's important to stay true to yourself, I don't know, be yourself and trust yourself.

I don't know what she was trying to do with that message exactly. For me it was just like faking it a little bit, so...

Q. Are you more interested in getting a workout or would you prefer to fly through the games?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think fly through the game is always best. Never heard anyone complain about winning 6-Love, 6-Love. I also think sometimes to be tested in early stages is also really helpful.

For me today showed that I'm ready to bring the fight more whenever it needed. Sometimes I really enjoy this, like, tough fights when I have to really overcome something because she played incredible. She really stepped in and she really forced me to raise my level. I'm happy that I was able to pass this test.

Q. Naomi was talking about her kimono, how it was inspired by the movie Kill Bill. Are there any film characters that inspire you, feel like that can translate into an outfit for yourself on court?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Me? Hmmm... Oh, my God, it's going to be so dumb that I will not say the right probably way this movie. The Rocky? How is the name?

Q. Rocky.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Rocky, maybe that. But I don't know how I would do my outfit if this is my inspiration (laughter). Going on the match with boxing gloves or something. That would be tricky.

I don't know. There's so many movies that really inspires me. It can be comedy, it can be, I don't know, love story, something. You get like one little phrase that really inspires you.

I don't know if I will ever try to get inspired by the movie and create, like, some outfit. I'll have to really think a lot because there's probably so many great movies that you can inspiration from.

Maybe for now I'll say Rocky. Maybe I have to think a bit deeply.

Q. Last movie you saw that had a line that inspired you?

ARYNA SABALENKA: This kind of question I have to know in advance and then I can really think and come up with something. Right now, I don't know.

No, actually I know. I watched Nadal documentary. He said, The only thing you can control is your focus and motivation. It really stick deep inside of me.

Sometimes now during the matches whenever things are going wrong, I'm like, The only thing you can control is focus and motivation. That was very strong.

Q. What do you think of Wimbledon's policy that prevents players from bringing their dogs to the tournament?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't agree with that (smiling).

Q. You've come from the French Open where there was massive commitment to that. Why do you think they've made the decision? How does travel with your dog help you mentally?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, I can understand why they made this decision. Obviously if the dog does something wrong inside of this historical place, probably going to take a bit of time to replace. They're probably afraid of damages inside.

I have to say all of our dogs are very well-trained. They're not going to do anything wrong inside of this beautiful building. We have to change that.

It just sometimes hurts to leave him at the house by himself. He really get attached a lot. But he suffers staying alone. It really hurts my feeling. It's just like little fluffy thing that always want cuddle and love. Going to the park with him, walking around, is also like some sort of meditation for me.

Wimbledon, please, I beg you, let the dogs inside (smiling).

Q. You extended your Grand Slam tiebreak record even more. How do you stay so calm in those high-pressure moments? What is it that makes you excel at that moment?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I'm glad from the outside it looks like I'm really calm. Inside I'm like, Okay, please get this point.

I don't know, I think on a serious note, I think on the tiebreak I'm willing to focus point by point, not going really too far, I don't know, in the future or staying too much in the past. I think that's been really working well. I'm kind of like free. I trust my shots on the tiebreak. I think that really makes a big difference.

Also tiebreak is a thing the way you start it most likely the way it's going to go. Every point makes difference, at the beginning especially. I feel like trusting my shots and staying aggressive on the tiebreaks really helps me to get these incredible stats.

Q. I told you about my daughter this morning.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah.

Q. She called me after the match and she was so excited. She wouldn't even believe me.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Did you send her the message?

Q. I did. She wouldn't believe me that we even talked and I can ask you questions. She has a question for you.

ARYNA SABALENKA: That's amazing.

Q. When did you realize that you can actually become pro? What advice can you give to younger girls growing up playing tennis? She's 11 years old.

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think it's important to enjoy the process. If she really loves the sport, just stick to the sport and basically do everything you can on each practice, too.

I feel as a kid you play a lot of points, you compete in the practice a lot. I always wanted to be the best at the practice. I think that's something that really helped me to learn this, I don't know, competing skill.

Also, I don't know, I realized that I can actually be good at this sport maybe when I was like 16 or 17, when I start playing women's tournaments. I felt like, Okay, maybe I can win this one, maybe I can get further in high-level tournaments. It was slowly growing my belief in this sport.

I think it's really important to stick to something that you love and really enjoy the process. If you really love it and if you really want it, you'll have all of the opportunities.