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Aryna Sabalenka said last year’s Wimbledon ban helped her become a better player after reaching a fourth successive Grand Slam semi-final.
The Belarusian, who previously said she could not watch last year because it made her cry, beat Madison Keys 6-2 6-4 to book a meeting with Ons Jabeur.
Russians and Belarusians were banned following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I was really sad I couldn’t play,” she said. “But at the same time I was thinking it’s a good time to reset.”
And it seems to have worked.
Since missing last year’s grass-court Grand Slam, Sabalenka has won a maiden singles major at the Australian Open in January as well as reaching the semi-finals at the US Open, French Open and now Wimbledon.
She will also replace Iga Swiatek as world number one if she reaches Saturday’s final at the All England Club.
It is quite a turnaround for the 25-year-old, who has in the past been known for her inconsistency and habit of choking in the big moments.
“I just took that time [the ban] as a good preparation, as a good little switch,” she told a news conference. “Everything started working better.
“I think that period gave me so much belief in myself. I started playing better, I started feeling better on court, emotionally I started feeling better.”
Against the United States’ Keys, she was only briefly tested as she produced a powerful display on Court One.
Having stormed through the first set, she trailed 4-2 in the second but the challenge seemingly made her find yet another gear.
She broke back twice – helped by winning 12 points in a row – and served out the victory, sealing it on her second match point with an emphatic serve that 25th seed Keys could only send long.
Sabalenka will be playing in her second Wimbledon semi-final, having suffered a three-set loss to Czech Karolina Pliskova two years ago, but says she will be facing 2022 runner-up Jabeur as “a different player now”.
“I’m going to do everything I can to lift this beautiful trophy,” she said.
“Since I was little I was dreaming about the Wimbledon title, it is something special.”
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