Aryna Sabalenka did not have things all her own way before moving into the third round at Wimbledon after a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory against Marie Bouzkova.
Victory for the world number one followed a first-round triumph over qualifier Carson Branstine, in which she navigated a challenging second set before prevailing 6-1, 7-5 against the Canadian.
With two wins to her name so far, Sabalenka has maintained one of her most impressive streaks.
The Belarusian was beaten by compatriot Victoria Azarenka in the second round of the US Open back in 2020, but has not lost before the third round of any of the 17 majors she has played since then.
That consistency is a key reason as to why the 27-year-old has now spent 44 weeks and counting as the world No 1, though it wasn’t always the case.
Sabalenka reached the third round in just three of her first 12 Grand Slam main draw appearances, often falling early even after she started racking up titles on the WTA Tour.
Now, few can come close to her rampant consistency, and the Belarusian revealed how she had developed such an impressive record.
“Well, I think mainly I’m just trying to focus on myself,” said Sabalenka. “I know that if I’ll be focusing on myself and if I’ll be there fighting for every point, I know that I have big chances to get through.
“Before I would get too nervous, I would think about everything outside of tennis, outside of that court. Nowadays, I’m just trying to play point by point.
“I’m trying to just take it one step at a time basically.”
