Aryna Sabalenka is kicking off Wimbledon with a bang! After a rather disappointing end to her French Open campaign against Coco Gauff, the Belarusian came onto grass with renewed energy. She’s had successful runs at SW19 before, reaching the semis back in 2021 and 2023! Last year she was missing in action after claiming to be “not 100 percent fit” to take on the prestigious Centre Courts. But this time, she’s back as the top seed, how does she feel?

On a record‑hot opening day, Sabalenka was as cool as a refreshing glass of Pimm’s on No. 1 Court, beating Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine in straight sets in just 74 minutes! She’s a clear favorite alongside Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff—and, together with Rybakina, the only Top 10 seed to have reached Wimbledon’s semi‑finals twice (Jasmine Paolini made her semi‑final debut as 2024’s runner‑up).

But speaking at the post-match interview, she couldn’t hold back from getting a little emotional over her comeback to the tournament after last year. She admitted, “I’m super happy to be back, to be healthy. To compete at this beautiful tournament. I was really depressed last year that I couldn’t feel this atmosphere. I’m super happy with the performance. Happy to get through. Thank you guys for bringing such a great atmosphere. If someone would’ve told me that one day, I’d play the first match at Wimbledon with a full, crowded stadium, I wouldn’t believe it. Thank you so much.” Isn’t that sweet?

But what happened that kept her out? Well, Aryna Sabalenka’s 2024 season hit a snag after illness at Roland Garros, where she lost in the quarterfinals to 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva. Then a rare shoulder injury forced her to retire mid-match in Berlin—the first time she ever quit a pro match—and withdraw from Wimbledon just hours before her first-round game. “It’s teres major,” Sabalenka told the WTA website. “It’s a very specific and rare injury. Probably I’m just the second or third player to injure that muscle. It’s really frustrating.”

The toughest part? She can practice and hit groundstrokes but struggles with serving. “The most annoying thing is that I can do anything except serve. That’s really annoying,” she said. This injury had sidelined a top star at a crucial time, but Sabalenka’s determination to come back was stronger!

Now she’s made it into yet another round two at Wimbledon! Will she keep up the momentum and make a deep run this time around? Only time will tell. After all, she began her grass campaign on a rocky note since her controversy with Coco Gauff.

Aryna Sabalenka makes amends and starts the grass season with a fresh slate!

Nearly two weeks after the Gauff-Sabalenka French Open clash, Aryna took a moment to reflect. Speaking to Eurosport Germany on June 16, she admitted, “That was just completely unprofessional of me. I let my emotions get the better of me. I absolutely regret what I said back then. You know, we all make mistakes. I’m just a human being who’s still learning in life. I think we all have those days when we lose control. The difference with me is the world is watching. I get a lot more hate for what I did than other people.”

She went on, “I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference. It took me a while to revisit it, to approach it with open eyes, and to understand. I realized a lot about myself. Why did I lose so many finals? I kept getting so emotional.” Even on Instagram, Sabalenka admitted she was more upset with herself, pointing to the 70 unforced errors she made. Fans were definitely relieved to hear that honesty!

Then, just as Wimbledon kicked off, Aryna Sabalenka surprised everyone with a playful TikTok duet! On June 28, she posted a choreographed dance to “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” captioning it, “TikTok dances always had a way of bringing people together.” Gauff followed with a cheeky lip-sync clip from the All England Club, saying, “OK, guys, we’re back. Did you miss us? ’Cause we missed you.”

Now, as Sabalenka steps into her next round, the big question is, will she keep this momentum going and finally snag the title? We’re eager to hear your thoughts in the comments below! Don’t forget to catch all the latest on the 2025 Wimbledon Live Blog!