Aryna Sabalenka made it clear that she didn’t call Laura Siegemund’s game “annoying” after defeating the 104th-ranked German to reach the Wimbledon semifinals on Tuesday.
During her post-match interview, BBC’s Lee McKenzie asked Sabalenka about Siegemund, claiming that she had called her opponent’s game annoying,” but “in a complimentary way.”
Sabalenka quickly interjected and explained that Siegemund previously made a comment that her own game was “annoying” for her opponents.
“You had said before hand that Laura has an annoying game in a complimentary way,” McKenzie said.
“I didn’t say that,” Sabalenka, 27, replied. “No, no no, I didn’t say that.
“They asked the question that she said that she has an annoying game. I didn’t say that, just to make that clear.”
McKenzie went on to ask Sabalenka about how she stayed true to herself and believed in herself when Siegemund challenged her in the two hour and 54 minute quarterfinal.
“It’s not like it’s an annoying game, it’s a smart game,” Sabalenka said. “She’s really making everyone work against her and going into the match against her you know that you have to work for every point.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a big server, if you’re a big hitter, you have to work, you have to run and have to earn the win. Honestly, I was just trying to focus on myself and make sure i don’t give her that energy. I didn’t want her to see that I was annoyed or anything by her, even if I was a little bit at some points. But I was just trying not to give her that energy.”
The world No. 1 twice came back from a break when down in the deciding set to beat the 37-year-old German at Centre Court on Tuesday, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.
“She pushed me so much,” Sabalenka said, adding that she needed time to recover after the match. “And honestly, after the first set, I was just looking at my box [and] thinking, ‘Guys, book the ticket [home]. I think we’re about to leave this beautiful city, country, place.’”
During her post-match press conference, Sabalenka explained that she made it a point to keep her emotions in check against Siegemund after she made 70 unforced errors in her French Open loss to American Coco Gauff.
“Honestly, I think there’s a big possibility I would’ve lost this match if I hadn’t learned that lesson at the French Open,” Sabalenka said. “And in some moments I kept reminding myself, ‘come on, it’s a quarterfinal of Wimbledon. You cannot give up. You cannot let the emotions take over you and lose another match.
“I was just reminding myself that it’s my dream. Why would I give up so easily? So I have to keep fighting. That’s basically it. I kept telling myself that. I was willing to push myself and get those tough points.”
Sabalenka will face No. 13 seed Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals on Thursday.
