Aryna Sabalenka Admits To ‘hate Relationship’ With Wimbledon After Semi-final Loss

Aryna Sabalenka has said she presently has “a dislike relationship” pinch Wimbledon, and deed retired astatine force Amanda Amisinova, aft nan world No 1 mislaid her 3rd consecutive semi-final astatine nan Championships connected Thursday.

The apical seed took clip to constitute herself aft her 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 defeat, saying she wanted to debar being nan “crazy person” of Roland Garros, wherever Sabalenka criticised Coco Gauff pursuing defeat to nan American successful nan French Open final successful June. Despite nan delay, however, nan Belarusian was still outspoken successful her appraisal of nan match.

“Losing sucks, you know?” she said. “You ever consciousness for illustration you want to die, you don’t want to beryllium immoderate more, and this is nan extremity of your life. Every clip you compete astatine that tournament, and you get to nan past stages, you deliberation that you’re getting adjacent to your dream. Then you suffer nan match, and you consciousness like, OK, this is nan end.”

Asked if she thought she could usage this setback to animate her to occurrence here, nan 27-year-old said: “It’s reliable to deliberation astir that, but I really dream so. I mislaid 3 semis, 3 reliable ones. Then I was banned from playing [in 2022]. Then I was injured. So I person really much of a dislike narration correct now pinch Wimbledon, but I dream that 1 time I will move it astir and person [that] emotion relationship.”

Sabelanka commended her force for her “aggressive” play connected nan time and said Anisimova was a deserving winner. But she besides said she was “pissed off” pinch nan American for having apparently celebrated a constituent successful nan 2nd group earlier nan shot had passed Sabalenka’s racket.

“She was already celebrating it. I was, like, that’s a spot excessively early”, Sabalenka said. “Then she pissed maine disconnected saying that’s what she does each nan time. I was grateful she really said that because it’s really helping maine to support fighting. So I came backmost because I sewage really angry successful that moment.”

Anisimova later said she had not been celebrating and that immoderate sound heard was a “long grunt”. Sabalenka besides criticised her a 2nd time, however, for not apologising aft winning a constituent from a nett cord. “I was like: you don’t want to opportunity sorry? She conscionable wanted, I guess, badly, to triumph this match. It’s connected her. If she doesn’t consciousness for illustration saying sorry, for illustration she hardly sewage that constituent and she didn’t consciousness for illustration saying sorry for that tricky situation, that’s connected her.”