Sabalenka Seizes the Moment, Dominates Tiebreaks

In high-pressure tiebreak situations, **Aryna Sabalenka** is currently unmatched. Her focus and aggressive play have propelled her to impressive milestones, including qualifying for the 2025 WTA Finals Riyadh.

Unprecedented Tiebreak Dominance

**Sabalenka** has achieved a stunning 14 consecutive tiebreak wins, a feat with odds of 16,384 to one. Only **Sloane Stephens**, between 2015 Roland Garros and 2016 Wimbledon, previously accomplished this in the Open era.

According to the WTA, 28% of all women’s singles matches in 2024 have gone to a deciding set, highlighting the importance of clutch performances under pressure (WTA Stats, 2024).

Mindset for Success

**Sabalenka** credits her mental approach for her tiebreak success. “I think just because I’m not thinking about these stats during the match helps me to stay focused from the very beginning until the very end of the tiebreak,” she stated.

She emphasizes staying focused on each point and maintaining aggression. “Because tiebreak is a tricky game. Everything can just go one way or another. You just got to be focused on each point and be aggressive.”

Road to the WTA Finals

Her aggressive focus is a key reason **Sabalenka** has become the first player to qualify for the 2025 WTA Finals Riyadh, scheduled four months from now. She leads all women with 47 match wins this year.

**Sabalenka** has accumulated 6,615 points in the PIF Race to the WTA Finals, exceeding her closest competitor by over 2,000 points.

Reign at World No. 1

After reclaiming the World No. 1 ranking last fall, **Sabalenka** has held it for 37 consecutive weeks, totaling 45 weeks overall. This surpasses the individual career totals of **Angelique Kerber**, **Naomi Osaka**, **Maria Sharapova**, **Kim Clijsters**, and **Venus Williams**.

Wimbledon Semifinal Bound

On Tuesday, **Sabalenka** rallied to defeat **Laura Siegemund** 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, securing her spot in the semifinals. She is the first player to reach the final four in three consecutive appearances here since **Serena Williams** did so four times between 2015 and 2019.

**Sabalenka** has now reached 10 Grand Slam semifinals in 11 appearances, joining **Williams** as the second player this century to achieve this feat.

Composure Under Pressure

Earlier in the tournament, during her Centre Court match against Great Britain’s **Emma Raducanu**, **Sabalenka** demonstrated remarkable poise. Despite early setbacks, she rallied to win 7-6 (6), 6-4.

“Maybe earlier in my career I would just lose it and I would just go crazy and lose that [second] set 7-5,” **Sabalenka** told reporters. “But with the years, with the experience, I learned that this is not it. I think experience solved a lot of problems.”

Looking Ahead to Riyadh

That experience, and her determination, will be invaluable in Riyadh, where she will make her fifth consecutive appearance at the season-ending tournament, further solidifying her position as a top player.