Aryna Sabalenka targets astonishing Serena Williams ranking record after Wimbledon win
Aryna Sabalenka’s lead at the top of the WTA Rankings was already enormous heading into Wimbledon and now she is threatening to set new records as she closes in on her first appearance in the final at the All England Club.
Sabalenka became only the third player to reach 11,000 points in the rankings back in May and now she is eyeing up the all-time points record held by the great Serena Williams.
As Sabalenka missed Wimbledon due to injury last year, all the points she is collecting in this year’s tournament are being added to her total and she is currently at 12,420 in the live rankings.
When the rankings are updated next Monday, she will be only the second player in history to reach 12,000 ranking points and if she goes all the way and lifts her first Wimbledon title, she will eclipse the all-time WTA Rankings points record set by Williams, which stands at 13,615 from June 2013.
If Sabalenka wins the Wimbledon title on Saturday, she will move to a stunning 13,640 ranking points and a massive lead over her nearest rival Coco Gauff, who has 7,669 points.
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Sabalenka was pushed all the way in her Wimbledon quarter-final by Laura Siegemund, who is currently ranked at world No 104.
The German’s eagerness to slow the plan down and use slice to affect her opponent unsettled Sabalenka and she suggested her defeat against Gauff in the French Open final last month left a legacy that allowed her to win this match.
“Honestly, I think there’s a big possibility that I would have lose this match if I didn’t learn that lesson at the French Open,” she said.
“In some moments I was just keep reminding – which it’s probably a little bit crazy, but I was keep reminding myself, Come on, it’s the quarterfinal of Wimbledon, you cannot give up, you cannot let the emotions just 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. Basically that’s it. I kept telling myself that, and I was willing to, yeah, win points, to push myself and to get those tough points.
“That was a real test. I need some time to cool down and recover after this. She pushed me so much. After the first set I was looking at my box and thinking, ‘book the tickets, we are about to leave this beautiful place’. She played an incredible tournament and match. I’m just super happy with the match and the win.
“The atmosphere was another level. Thank you guys for your support, you don’t understand how much you helped me to stay in the game and enjoy playing in front of you all.”
Siegemund was warned for her delaying tactics that clearly annoyed Sabalenka, as the No 1 seed admitted the approach rattled her.
“It is a smart game. She is really making everyone work against her, you know you have to work for every point,” she added.
“It doesn’t matter if you are a big hitter, big server, you have to work, you have to run and to earn the victory. I had to make sure I didn’t show I was annoyed by her, even if I was slightly, I didn’t want to give her that energy.”
