New Delhi: Aryna Sabalenka was tested to her limits in the second set as she battled past American ‌McCartney Kessler 6-1, 7-6(9) in her second-round clash at Wimbledon 2026 on Wednesday. The world no.1 started the match dominantly and seemed heading towards a comfortable win before Kessler staged an incredible fightback to take the game down to the wire.

Just when it looked like it might turn out to be a routine win for Sabalenka, Kessler sparked a turnaround in the second set. She stormed to a 5-2 lead, leaving the world no.1 frustrated. Sabalenka struggled with a thigh issue in the second set and looked visibly frustrated as she kept slapping it.

However, the 4-time Grand Slam champion managed to keep her composure and held her nerves under pressure to ensure the match was not dragged into a third set. Sabalenka’s experience and power came to the fore as she managed to win the tie-break to wrap up a hard-fought win in an hour and 39 minutes.

Sabalenka has reached 14 successive quarterfinals in her last Grand Slams and is aiming to win her maiden Wimbledon title this year. She has never managed to go past the semifinals at Wimbledon. Sabalenka lost in the semi-final of last year’s tournament.

The world no.1 will now take on Jelena Ostapenko in her third-round match. Sabalenka admitted that she was tested by Kessler in her hard-fought victory, but insisted she was happy too have passed the challenge.

“That was a true battle and I’m super happy that I was able to stay in that second set to get into that tie-break. She really tested me and I’m super happy to pass the test,” Sabalenka said after the match.

Japanese star Naomi Osaka reached the third round of women’s singles at Wimbledon 2026 after beating Anastasia Gasanova in the second round on Wednesday. Osaka defeated Gasanova 6-3, 6-2 in straight sets to storm into the next round. She has never gone past the third round at Wimbledon and will be hoping to set the record straight this year.