“I hope there are no more surprises”: Aryna Sabalenka laments early Wimbledon top-10 exodus

Aryna Sabalenka weighed in on the record number of top-10 eliminations in Wimbledon's first round, stating her hope that there will be no more surprises in the rest of the tournament. The world No. 1 is the top favorite for the title and has already secured her spot in the third round with a pair of convincing performances.

It has been an unusual start to Wimbledon, with a total of 8 top-10 players eliminated across both draws. On the women's side, Coco Gauff (No. 2), Jessica Pegula (No. 3), Zheng Qinwen (No. 6), and Paula Badosa (No. 9) have already been knocked out. In total, 10 of the 32 seeds were eliminated in just the first two days of the tournament.

For the men, the surprising exits were led by Alexander Zverev (No. 3), in addition to 2024 semifinalist Lorenzo Musetti (No. 7), Holger Rune (No. 8), and Daniil Medvedev (No. 9).

In a press conference following her win against Marie Bouzkova, Sabalenka addressed the early departure of several top contenders, stating it's "sad" to see so many big names eliminated prematurely.

"It's very sad to see so many elite players lose in the first round," the three-time Grand Slam champion said. "But it's better to focus on yourself and not worry about the results. You have to go step by step, giving your best every time you compete. I hope there are no more surprises in this tournament... you know what I mean?"

The world No. 1 began the tournament in great form and has yet to drop a set. She defeated Canadian Carson Branstine (6-1, 7-5) in the first round and then overcame a resilient Marie Bouzkova (7-6, 6-4). The Belarusian awaits a tough third-round clash against the winner between Emma Raducanu and 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrouosva.