Aryna Sabalenka Makes Stunning Career History Despite Wimbledon Loss

Sabalenka got knocked out in the women's semifinal on Thursday.

Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot during her match against Laura Siegemund of Germany on day nine at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. / Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Aryna Sabalenka got knocked out by Amanda Anisimova in the women's semifinal at Wimbledon on Thursday, continuing the bizarre and luckless trend of top seeds crashing out of the tournament.

Sabalenka lost in three sets (4-6, 6-4, 4-6) to No. 13 Anisimova, who stunned the world No. 1 to book her spot in her first-ever Grand Slam final. Though Sabalenka came up short against the 23-year-old American, she still made a piece of impressive history in the process.

Sabalenka is the second player in the Open Era to have 100+ consecutive women's singles matches at Grand Slams without losing in straight sets, according to OptaAce. She trails only Martina Navratilova, who tallied 142 consecutive matches from 1981 to '87.

Sabalenka last lost in straight sets in 2020, in the second round of the U.S. open against Victoria Azarenka (1-6, 3-6).

While Sabalenka walked away from Wimbledon trophy-less, the Belarusian has hammered out a formidable reputation for never going down without a fight. Thursday's semifinal marked her sixth loss to Anisimova in nine career head-to-head matches, and she has now been defeated by the American on all three surfaces.

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