WIMBLEDON’S opening days have been a minefield for top seeds, and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is feeling the pressure — and perhaps a touch of relief.
After a record-tying 23 seeded players, including four of the top five women, were eliminated by the end of Day 2, Sabalenka, the lone remaining top-five female player, lightheartedly expressed her wish for the upsets to cease.
“I hope it’s no upsets anymore in this tournament, if you know what I mean,” she quipped, her chuckle underscoring the chaotic start to this year’s tournament.
Sabalenka herself narrowly avoided an early exit during her second-round match on Wednesday (Thursday, July 3, 2025, PH time) against Marie Bouzkova.
Despite being two points from dropping the first set three times, the Belarusian powerhouse asserted her dominance, securing a 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory.
The match, played under cooler, rain-delayed conditions following two days of scorching heat, saw Sabalenka rally from a 5-6 deficit in the first set, breaking Bouzkova’s serve with a critical forehand volley winner and a down-the-line backhand winner. “That was a tough moment,” Sabalenka admitted, acknowledging the challenge before her game “clicked together.”
The early exodus of top talent has been unprecedented. By the close of Day 2, 10 women and 13 men had already been knocked out, matching a 25-year Grand Slam record.
Wednesday added to the tally with five more women’s seeds falling, including last year’s runner-up Jasmine Paolini, and notable players like Diana Shnaider and Beatriz Haddad Maia. This landscape leaves Sabalenka in a uniquely advantageous, yet precarious, position.
While a three-time Grand Slam champion on hard courts, with titles at the Australian and US Opens, Wimbledon’s grass courts have historically presented a tougher challenge for Sabalenka, where she has yet to advance past the semifinals. Last year, a shoulder injury kept her out entirely.
Looking ahead, Sabalenka will face 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, who delivered an impressive 6-3, 6-3 victory over 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova on Wednesday.
Other notable results included a win for sixth seed Madison Keys, while in the men’s draw, two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz continued his dominant run, extending his winning streak to 20 matches. However, the upset trend continued as 12th seed Frances Tiafoe was eliminated.
The action at the All England Club continues Thursday (Friday in PH), with seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic leading the Centre Court schedule, followed by matches featuring Iga Swiatek and men’s No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
The question remains: can Sabalenka navigate the turbulent waters of Wimbledon 2025 and claim her first title on the hallowed grass courts? / From the wires