World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a major setback ahead of Wimbledon after crashing out of the Berlin Open semifinals in dramatic fashion. Sabalenka was beaten 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-0 by Jessica Pegula, with the final set ending in a stunning bagel that raised fresh concerns about her form heading into the grass-court Grand Slam.
The defeat was particularly alarming because Sabalenka had fought hard to stay alive in the contest. After dropping the opening set, she rallied to win the second-set tiebreak and force a decider.
However, she completely lost her footing in the third set as Pegula dominated proceedings, handing the Belarusian a 6-0 defeat in less than half an hour. The loss ended Sabalenka’s Berlin campaign just when it appeared she was gathering momentum on grass.
Sabalenka had entered the tournament looking to bounce back from a disappointing French Open campaign and initially showed encouraging signs. She defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova before overcoming Czech youngster Nikola Bartunkova in a tough three-set quarterfinal to reach the last four.
Despite remaining one of the favourites for Wimbledon, the manner of her defeat will be a concern. Sabalenka has reached the Wimbledon semifinals on three occasions but is still searching for her first title at the All England Club. The Berlin loss means she heads into the season’s third Grand Slam with questions over her consistency and ability to close out big matches.
SABALENKA KEEPS STRUGGLING
The Berlin defeat is the latest chapter in what has been an unusually turbulent period for the world No.1.
At the French Open earlier this month, Sabalenka suffered a shocking quarterfinal defeat to Diana Shnaider despite winning the first set and holding a commanding advantage in the second.
Shnaider mounted a remarkable comeback to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-0, leaving Sabalenka devastated. Following the loss, she admitted she felt like she wanted to “quit tennis” after letting a golden opportunity slip away.
Her struggles actually began before Roland Garros. In April, Sabalenka suffered a surprise Madrid Open defeat to American Hailey Baptiste after failing to convert six match points. It was one of the biggest wins of Baptiste’s career and a rare stumble for the Belarusian.
Just days later, Sabalenka was stunned again at the Italian Open, where veteran Romanian Sorana Cirstea fought back from a set down to claim a 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory. The loss was compounded by concerns over a lower-back issue that affected Sabalenka during the match.
Three significant defeats, a French Open collapse, and now a bagel in Berlin have left Sabalenka searching for answers just days before Wimbledon begins.
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