LONDON — World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka overcame one of her toughest tests of the tournament Wednesday, rallying from 5-2 down in the second set and saving four set points before defeating American McCartney Kessler 6-1, 7-6 (9) to advance to the third round at Wimbledon.
Sabalenka looked firmly in control after cruising through the opening set but found herself pushed to the limit by the aggressive Kessler, who transformed the match with fearless attacking tennis and nearly forced a deciding set on Centre Court.
The Belarusian eventually prevailed after two hours of high-quality tennis, extending her remarkable record in Grand Slam tiebreaks while setting up a blockbuster third-round meeting against former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
“It was a true battle,” Sabalenka said after the match. “She played an incredible second set. She really tested me today, and I’m really happy to pass the test. She stepped in, she played super aggressively, and it felt like every decision she made was working.”
Sabalenka’s victory mirrored her only previous meeting with Kessler at Indian Wells last year, another straight-set contest that featured a tightly contested tiebreak. The top seed improved her 2026 tiebreak record to 9-2 and extended her Open Era record by winning her 21st consecutive Grand Slam tiebreak.
The four-time Grand Slam champion credited her ability to remain composed during decisive moments.
“I’m glad from the outside it looks like I’m really calm,” Sabalenka said. “Inside I’m thinking, ‘Please get this point.'”
“I try to focus point by point without thinking too much about what happened before or what might happen next. I trust my shots in tiebreaks, and I think that makes a big difference.”
After being overwhelmed in the opening set, Kessler dramatically changed her approach by attacking the net whenever opportunities arose. The American repeatedly caught Sabalenka off guard with well-timed approaches and won 11 of her 15 net points in the second set.
Her finest sequence came after breaking Sabalenka for a 4-2 lead, when she survived a barrage of passing-shot attempts before finishing a spectacular rally with a sharply angled volley to consolidate the advantage.
The World No. 57 continued to dictate play and earned two set points while serving at 5-3. Sabalenka erased the first with a blistering backhand return winner down the line before Kessler missed long on the second opportunity.
The pressure continued into the tiebreak.
Kessler earned two more set points at 7-6 and 8-7 but Sabalenka answered each time with bold shot-making, including a service winner and a superb forehand volley that highlighted her willingness to attack under pressure.
Although Kessler twice saved match points herself, Sabalenka finally sealed victory with a powerful forehand winner, her 32nd winner of the afternoon.
“Stay low and put the pressure back on her,” Sabalenka said of the message she repeated to herself during the closing stages. “Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to get this set.”
Awaiting Sabalenka in the third round is Ostapenko, who delivered one of the most dominant performances of the day by defeating Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic 6-2, 6-0 in just 66 minutes.
The Latvian erased memories of her error-filled first-round victory over Harriet Dart by producing an almost flawless display that featured 34 winners against only 10 unforced errors.
Ostapenko acknowledged that grass remains one of her favorite surfaces and welcomed the opportunity to face the tournament’s top seed.
“I like interesting matches,” she said. “She’s a great player, but I have to focus more on myself and do what I need to do.”
Sabalenka leads their career series 3-1, although Ostapenko won their most recent meeting in the 2025 Stuttgart final. Friday’s encounter will mark their first meeting on grass, where Ostapenko has won two WTA titles while Sabalenka continues to chase her first championship on the surface.
With her latest comeback victory, Sabalenka once again demonstrated why she remains one of the tour’s most resilient competitors, turning a match that appeared to be slipping away into another statement performance as she continues her pursuit of a maiden Wimbledon title.
