World No. 1 tennis player Aryana Sabalenka won her 18th straight match at the Australian Open to qualify for the third consecutive quarterfinals of the Grand Slam tournament.
According to Tennis.com, the two-time Australian Open defending champion, after a 62-minute dominating play, beat rival Mirra Andreeva, 6-1, 6-2, on Sunday, January 19, 2025, at Rod Laver Arena.
After winning the match, she said, “It’s always tough matches against Mirra. She’s so young but so mature and playing such great tennis. It’s always tough battles against her, and I’m super happy to get through this difficult match in straight sets.”
If the 26-year-old manages to win the third Australian Open title in a row, she will become the first female tennis player to complete this milestone after Steffi Graf in 1990.
The three-time Grand Slam winner also thanked her enthusiastic fans in the crowd who were wearing Tiger-themed clothes to show their support for The Girl with the Tiger Tattoo.
She said, “I think my whole life, I wanted to be an inspiration for the next generation, to be a good example of a hard worker and a fighter. I wanted to inspire, maybe not only the next generation but also help people get through tough moments. I hope they look at me, see my example, and how tough I had to battle through some of my challenges.”
Furthermore, Sabalenka will now face Russian tennis player Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
