“I honestly have no idea” – Aryna Sabalenka thanks her lucky stars after incredible win vs Elena Rybakina saving 4 match points at Berlin

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Elena Rybakina 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(6) in the Berlin Open quarterfinals, saving four match points in a thrilling final-set tiebreak that lasted 2 hours and 42 minutes, per WTA Tennis. Trailing 6-2 in the tiebreak, Sabalenka benefited from a net cord on Rybakina’s first match point, sparking a run of six straight points to secure her eighth semifinal of 2025, per ESPN. In her post-match interview, Sabalenka expressed disbelief, saying, “Elena is a great player. We had a lot of tough battles… I honestly have no idea how I was able to win those points. I think I got lucky,” per Motorcycle Sports. She added, “It’s been a while since I’ve made a crazy comeback, and here I am. It’s amazing to win matches like this,” per theScore.

Sabalenka’s resilience shone through despite Rybakina’s 4-2 lead in the first set and a dominant second set. The Belarusian, now leading their head-to-head 7-4, broke for 5-4 in the third but couldn’t serve it out, forcing the decisive tiebreak, per Tennis World USA. X posts, like @TheTennisLetter, hailed her refusal to lose, noting, “The type of win that’ll give Aryna a ton of confidence before Wimbledon,” per. Facing 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova next, Sabalenka called her a “tricky player” whose grass-court game poses a challenge, per The Straits Times. This victory bolsters Sabalenka’s momentum for Wimbledon, starting June 30, after her 2024 US Open and Australian Open titles, per WTA Tennis.