In the first women’s quarterfinal at Wimbledon 2025, Aryna Sabalenka found herself on the brink of defeat against world No. 104 Laura Siegemund. But the top seed stayed composed, summoned her trademark intensity when it mattered most, and clawed her way into the semifinals with a gritty 4-6 6-2 6-4 victory.
Playing her first quarterfinal at Wimbledon, Siegemund stormed to a 3-0 lead with a double break in just 15 minutes. Sabalenka responded with a love break to get one of the breaks back, but after three tightly contested deuce games, Siegemund reestablished her double break advantage.
Serving for the set at 5-2, Siegemund faltered, as her serve dipped and nerves crept in, allowing Sabalenka to close the gap with two consecutive games. But with a second chance to serve out the set at 5-4, Siegemund composed herself and closed it out with ease.
Sabalenka opened the second set with a 2-0 lead, but Siegemund quickly leveled the score. However, the top seed regrouped and swept the remaining games to take the 54-minute set and force a decider.
In the third set, Siegemund surged ahead 3-1, but a determined Sabalenka refused to back down, leveling the score at 3-3 to keep the contest fierce. Still struggling with her serve, the top seed was broken once more and trailed 4-3, as Siegemund threatened to pull ahead 5-3 and piled pressure on every point. But Sabalenka dug deep, broke back for 4-4, and unleashed her trademark “tiger mode” just in time—grinding through the final games to seal a hard-earned victory.
At 37 years and 118 days, Siegemund was the oldest player in the Open Era to reach her first Wimbledon quarterfinal. On the other side of the net, three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka booked her spot in a third Wimbledon semifinal.
