London, July 7: With her signature ferocity and steely focus, Aryna Sabalenka stormed into the quarter-finals of Wimbledon 2025, defeating Belgium’s Elise Mertens in straight sets — 6-4, 7-6(4) — under the Centre Court roof on Monday.
Sabalenka, currently ranked World No. 1, brought her trademark intensity to the match, combining raw power with clever touches of finesse. While her thunderous forehands and commanding serves dominated proceedings, the Belarusian also showed tactical grass-court variety, using slices and low skidding shots to disrupt Mertens’ rhythm.
What made this win more compelling was the history between the two players. Once Grand Slam-winning doubles partners, Sabalenka and Mertens know each other’s games intimately. This was their 10th singles meeting, and Sabalenka once again came out on top — extending her perfect head-to-head record against Mertens to 10-0. That shared history added a layer of psychological depth to the contest, with Sabalenka using her knowledge to anticipate and outplay her opponent at key moments.“It was a real battle. Elise always brings great tennis,” Sabalenka said after the match. “I’m super happy with the win — and the support from the crowd today meant a lot.”While Sabalenka is used to being the one battling hostile home support — as she did against Emma Raducanu in a raucous third-round clash — Monday’s match saw the Centre Court crowd firmly behind her, something she acknowledged with a smile during her post-match interview.
Currently the only top-six seed left in the women’s draw, Sabalenka now stands as the tournament favourite — a status reinforced not only by her top seeding but also by her Grand Slam pedigree. She has three major titles to her name — two Australian Opens and one US Open — and has now reached at least the quarter-final stage in each of her last 11 Grand Slam appearances.
Should she defeat Germany’s Laura Siegemund in the upcoming quarter-final, Sabalenka will match her best-ever Wimbledon run, having previously reached the semi-finals in 2021 and 2023. (Agencies)
