"She might be the favourite in my eyes when I see her play like this": admits Wilander on Sabalenka after dominant opening win

Wednesday, 05 July 2023 at 13:30

Mats Wilander believes Aryna Sabalenka could be the favourite to win Wimbledon after her first-round victory.

Former world No. 1 Mats Wilander underlines Sabalenka's chances at the SW19 this year after a convincing win against Panna Udvardy in the first round. The current world No. 2 defeated the Hungarian in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1 to move into the second round of the grasscourt major.

After a strong appearance on this year's WTA Tour and a win at the Australian Open a few months ago, the Belarussian was the clear favorite against world No. 85 Udvardy. Sabalenka did not disappoint, serving up a routine win with little difficulty.

Sabalenka at her best

Speaking in the press conference after the match, Sabalenka told of how she "was enjoying the atmosphere" on the court. In a reference to her absence last year after Wimbledon banned Russian and Belarussian players from competing at the tournament due to the Russia-Ukraine war, Sabalenka said,

"I think I missed this place a lot, that’s why I played my best tennis today."

In terms of her hopes for the major this year, the 25-year-old went on to say,

"I feel great, I’m feeling good, it’s really good to be one of the favourites at this beautiful tournament. I’ll do my best to make sure I reach as far as I can here at Wimbledon."

Wilander predicts success

Her powerful performance in the first round caught the attention of Swedish eight-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander, who praised her current form,

"It was a pretty straightforward victory, I thought. Udvardy, not a good enough mover to really make it difficult for Sabalenka.

"She’s playing great, she’s hitting the ball great, she’s moving better it seems this year than she has in the past. She looks fit and strong.

"It makes such a big difference to her to have a big serve these days because that’s what separates her from the other women, because of her ball striking skills and serving."

Wilander went on to talk about his predictions for Sabalenka at this tournament, saying

"She might be the favourite in my eyes when I see her play like this, I have to say."