World number one Sabalenka beats Kessler to reach third round at Wimbledon

World number one Aryna Sabalenka defeated American McCartney Kessler 6-1, 7-6 (11/9) in the second round of the Wimbledon tennis tournament to advance to the third round. The Belarusian will face Latvian Jelena Ostapenko in the next round.

Scraper SystemJuly 01, 2026, 11:09 PM

World number one Sabalenka beats Kessler to reach third round at Wimbledon

World number one Aryna Sabalenka booked her place in the third round of the Wimbledon tennis tournament after a hard-fought 6-1, 7-6 (11/9) victory over American McCartney Kessler in the second round.

The Belarusian eased through the first set on Court 1 but faced stiff resistance from Kessler in the second. Although Kessler led 5-3 and served for the set, she squandered two set points. Sabalenka forced a tie-break and won it 11-9 to secure the match.

Set to face Ostapenko

With this result, Sabalenka will face 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in the third round.

A four-time Grand Slam champion, Sabalenka has never reached the final at Wimbledon. She was eliminated in the semifinals in her last three appearances at the tournament. Sabalenka has reached the quarterfinals in her last 14 Grand Slam events.

Sabalenka: 'It was a real battle'

Speaking after the match, Sabalenka said: 'It was a real battle and I am very happy that I stayed in the second set and managed to get into the tie-break. She really tested me and I am very happy to have passed that test.'