World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka firmly corrected BBC interviewer Lee McKenzie during her on-court interview after a hard-fought 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Laura Siegemund in the Wimbledon 2025 quarter-finals on July 8, advancing to her third semi-final in five years. The nearly three-hour match saw Sabalenka overcome Siegemund’s “annoying” style—marked by slices, drop shots, and slow pacing—prompting visible frustration, including smashing her racket against the net, per *BBC Sport* and *The Mirror*.[](https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/articles/cj4eqk548dpo)[](https://www.sportbible.com/tennis/wimbledon-news-aryna-sabalenka-laura-siegemund-274753-20250708)
In the post-match interview, McKenzie suggested Sabalenka had called Siegemund’s playing style “annoying,” saying, “You said beforehand that Laura has an annoying game, you meant that in a complimentary way…” Sabalenka quickly interjected, “No, no, no, I didn’t say that. They asked a question saying that *she* said she has an annoying game. Just to make it clear!” She clarified, “It’s not like it’s an annoying game, it’s a smart game. She’s really making everyone work… you have to run and earn the win,” per *Express.co.uk* and *The US Sun*.[](https://www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/2079194/Aryna-Sabalenka-BBC-interview-Wimbledon)[](https://www.the-sun.com/sport/14657242/wimbledon-aryna-sabalenka-bbc-interview/)
The misunderstanding stemmed from a pre-match press conference where Sabalenka, responding to Siegemund’s own description of her style as “annoying,” said, “Yeah, it’s annoying… but the main thing is not to over-rush and not to get frustrated by her game,” per *The Irish Sun*. Sabalenka’s irritation was compounded by a disruptive fan clapping between serves, prompting umpire James Keothavong to intervene, per *Express.co.uk*. She later admitted, “I had to make sure I didn’t show I was annoyed by her—even if I was slightly,” but credited her calmer mindset for the win, per *BBC Sport*.[]
Sabalenka now faces Amanda Anisimova in the semi-finals on July 10, aiming for her first Wimbledon final, per *BBC Sport*. Posts on X, like @TheTennisLetter, highlighted the exchange, noting Sabalenka’s quick correction with humor, per.
