World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka faced former world No. 3 Jelena Ostapenko in the women's singles third round at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships on Friday, July 3.
Sabalenka entered the match as the top seed after straight-set wins over Teodora Kostovic and McCartney Kessler.
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The Belarusian extended her Grand Slam tie-break winning streak to 21 consecutive victories during her second-round match.
“On a serious note, on the tie-break, I’m willing to focus point by point, not going really too far in the future or staying too much in the past.
I think that’s been really working well,” Sabalenka said.
“I trust my shots on the tie-break. I think that really makes a big difference.”
The top seed credited her aggressive mindset for her statistical advantage in critical moments.
“Every point makes a difference, at the beginning especially.
I feel like trusting my shots and staying aggressive on the tie-breaks really helps me to get these incredible stats,” Sabalenka added.
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Ostapenko held a 21-14 win-loss record in 2026 before the matchup.
The Latvian defeated Great Britain's Harriet Dart in three sets in the first round, then beat Antonia Ruzic in straight sets in the second round.
“I like interesting matches.
I think tennis is a big challenge in general, I don’t think those other things are extra challenges.
I just take it as another match,” Ostapenko said.
“She’s a great player but I think I have to do what I have to do and focus more on myself.”
The winner of this third-round contest will advance to face Japan's Naomi Osaka in the fourth round.
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Osaka secured her spot by defeating Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-3 in 65 minutes.
