Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka celebrates after winning her round of 16 match against Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova on June 17, 2026. — Reuters
BERLIN: World number one Aryna Sabalenka staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Czech teenager Nikola Bartunkova 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 and secure a place in the semi-finals of the Berlin Open here at the Steffi Graf Stadion on Friday.
The Belarusian appeared to be heading for an early exit after a difficult start, finding herself a set down and trailing 4-0 in the second set against the fearless Bartunkova, who dominated proceedings with a series of powerful winners.
Sabalenka struggled to find her rhythm throughout the opening stages, committing a number of uncharacteristic errors and failing to make an impact on serve.
The performance echoed her surprise quarter-final defeat at the French Open earlier this month, where questions were raised about her ability to recover from setbacks.
However, the four-time Grand Slam champion showed her fighting qualities to turn the match around, eventually securing a hard-fought victory.
Reflecting on the challenge posed by her young opponent, Sabalenka admitted she had been overwhelmed by Bartunkova’s aggressive approach.
“I did not know what to do. I was thinking woah, that’s how it feels to play against me,” Sabalenka said.
“Any ball I would give her she would smack it for a winner. What a player – a future superstar for sure.
“I just tried to bring this little tiger inside of me and fight for this match.”
The victory provides a timely boost for Sabalenka ahead of Wimbledon, where she reached the semi-finals last year.
She will now face world number four Jessica Pegula for a place in the final after the American defeated Madison Keys 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (10-8).