Aryna Sabalenka, the world’s top-ranked women’s tennis player, has once again proven her mettle on the grand stage, powering through a thrilling third-round victory at Wimbledon 2025 to emulate a remarkable feat last achieved by the legendary Serena Williams. The Belarusian star’s hard-fought 7-6(6), 6-4 triumph over Britain’s Emma Raducanu on Centre Court not only propelled her into the fourth round but also marked her 11th consecutive Grand Slam appearance reaching at least the fourth round, a milestone Williams accomplished with 14 straight second-week showings from 2014 to 2019. Sabalenka’s relentless consistency, paired with her ferocious power, has placed her among tennis’s elite, drawing parallels to Williams’s era of dominance as she chases her first Wimbledon crown.
The match against Raducanu, a former US Open champion, was a true test of Sabalenka’s resolve. The 22-year-old Brit, buoyed by a raucous home crowd, pushed Sabalenka to the brink, building a 4-2 lead in the first set and earning a set point in the tiebreak. “I’m happy with the win. It was a battle. She really pushed me to the limit today,” Sabalenka said, acknowledging Raducanu’s tenacity. “She played incredible level.” Despite facing seven set points, Sabalenka’s composure shone through, her 41 winners and signature groundstroke aggression overwhelming Raducanu in a match that lasted one hour and 35 minutes. “Honestly, I’m super grateful that people were respectful and really polite during the points,” she added, praising the Wimbledon crowd’s balance of enthusiasm and decorum, which allowed her to stay focused. “I was able to be that focused.”
Sabalenka’s path to this historic achievement has been marked by remarkable consistency across all four majors. Since her last pre-fourth-round exit at the 2022 French Open, where she fell to Camila Giorgi in three sets, Sabalenka has reached nine semi-finals, six finals, and secured three titles across her last 10 completed Grand Slams. Her 2024 season was a standout, with a 94.7% win rate in major matches (18-1), the best since Williams’s 96.3% in 2015. Titles at the Australian Open (2023 and 2024) and the US Open (2024), along with runner-up finishes at the 2025 Australian and French Opens, underscore her dominance. “I still have things to do in New York,” Sabalenka said last year after a US Open semi-final run, a mindset that has fueled her relentless pursuit of excellence.
Wimbledon 2025 has been a tournament of surprises, with top seeds like Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Zheng Qinwen falling in the first round, making Sabalenka the last top-five seed standing in the women’s draw. “Honestly it’s very sad to see so many top players losing in the first round, but you better focus on yourself and stay away from the results,” she said after her second-round win over Marie Bouzkova. Her ability to block out the chaos around her reflects a mental toughness honed through adversity, including a shoulder injury that forced her to miss Wimbledon 2024 and a stomach bug during her 2024 French Open loss to Mirra Andreeva. “It’s always a process, and as they say, you just to enjoy the process and trust the process,” Sabalenka noted, a mantra that has guided her resurgence.
Next up, Sabalenka faces former doubles partner Elise Mertens in the fourth round, a matchup where she holds a commanding 10-2 head-to-head lead. A victory could set up a quarter-final against unseeded Laura Siegemund or lucky loser Solana Sierra, positioning Sabalenka as the heavy favorite to claim the Venus Rosewater Dish. Her 11,710 ranking points, bolstered by her US Open title and four WTA 1000 crowns since August 2024, place her ahead of Iga Swiatek’s 11,695-point milestone, with a chance to challenge Williams’s record 13,615 points if she wins Wimbledon. “I was super focused. I didn’t want to lose any point today,” Sabalenka said, a mindset that echoes Williams’s ruthless drive.
Sabalenka’s journey mirrors Williams’s in more than just statistics. Her ability to channel raw power into precise, match-defining moments, as noted by former number one Kim Clijsters—“Just like Serena, she has the ability to step up when needed”—has made her a force. As she navigates Wimbledon’s open draw, Sabalenka’s blend of resilience, focus, and explosive talent positions her to not only match Williams’s feats but to carve her own legacy in tennis history.
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