"As women, we are stronger than the guys, so they had to close the roof for the guys so they don’t suffer": Aryna Sabalenka finds humour in scorching Australian Open heat

Aryna Sabalenka booked her place in the semi-finals of the 2026 Australian Open with a commanding 6–3, 6–0 victory over teenager Iva Jovic, producing one of her cleanest performances of the tournament under challenging Melbourne conditions.

The world No. 2 was in control throughout the quarter-final encounter, stepping up her aggression as the match progressed and closing out the contest in emphatic fashion. Afterwards, Sabalenka expressed her satisfaction not only with the result but with the level she was able to maintain at the Australian Open.

“I’m super happy to get the win,” she said during her press conference. “She’s young, a great player. Super happy to get this win in straight sets and happy with the level I played today. Yeah, amazing player.”

Sabalenka’s consistency at the biggest tournaments has become a defining feature of her career, with another Grand Slam semi-final marking yet another deep run. While she insists those milestones aren’t front of mind during competition, she acknowledged that the achievement occasionally sinks in.

“When I’m in the tournament, I’m not thinking about that,” she explained. “But sometimes we all stop for a second and think about the level we were able to reach. It sounds really incredible and tough to believe. “Sometimes I think it’s unbelievable what I was able to achieve. I think what’s really helping me to be there all the time is the focus that I’m having. Focusing on the right things definitely helps a lot with the consistency.”

The quarter-final was played in intense heat, with Sabalenka one of the few singles players competing in an open stadium late in the day. The roof was eventually partially closed, offering some shade, something she welcomed as temperatures soared.

“At the end of the match it was really hot out there,” she said. “I’m glad they closed the roof almost halfway so we had a lot of shade. “But yeah, it was hot out there. As women, we are stronger than the guys, so they had to close the roof for the guys so they don’t suffer,” she added with a smile. “I knew they wouldn’t let us play in crazy heat. They were protecting us and our health.”

Sabalenka was also asked about a moment earlier in the tournament when she was asked to remove a WHOOP wearable device from her wrist, a decision that surprised her given its widespread use on the WTA Tour.

“We received an email that WHOOP got approval from the ITF to wear this device,” she said. “I didn’t know that the Grand Slams hadn’t come to the same conclusion. “The whole year we are wearing it at WTA tournaments. All of the tournaments I play, we wear WHOOP. It’s just for tracking my health. I don’t understand why Grand Slams don’t allow us to wear it, and I really hope they will reconsider.”

On court, the turning point came in a ruthless second set in which Sabalenka raised her intensity and gave Jovic no room to recover. She said the decision to press harder was deliberate.

“I felt like I had to step in and put even more pressure on her,” Sabalenka said. “She’s young, she’s hungry, and no matter the score she was still trying to figure her way. “I knew I had to step in and show the level and the class. It helped me go for my shots and trust my game. There was definitely an amazing performance in the second set.”

With coaching now permitted courtside at Grand Slams, Sabalenka also touched on her relationship with her team, joking about the challenge they face trying to read her emotions during matches.

“Sometimes even I don’t know what I need,” she admitted. “Sometimes I need tactical advice. Sometimes I just need support. Sometimes I want them to be quiet. “If you see me doing this, it means, you know, keep quiet, please. I’m super lucky — they know me better than I know myself. But yeah, I’m definitely the toughest one to handle.”

Looking ahead, Sabalenka will face either Coco Gauff or Elina Svitolina for a place in the final, though she insists her approach will not change regardless of the opponent.

“It doesn’t matter who makes it to the semis,” she said. “It’s going to be a battle. Whoever gets there is an incredible player. I’ll focus on myself, on my game, and fight for every point.”

Despite previously describing this stage of a Grand Slam as “trophy or nothing,” Sabalenka said her mindset is now centred on staying present.

“Every player comes into the tournament with that mentality,” she said. “But I’m trying to shift my focus onto the right things — taking it step by step, trying my best in each match, each point, each game, each set.”