Banned by Wimbledon, Sabalenka dreams of Belarusian double

Australian Open semi-finalist Aryna Sabalenka has vowed to do everything in her power to deliver a historic moment in Melbourne for a nation currently shunned by tennis authorities.

The women’s semi-finals to be held at Melbourne Park on Thursday night are both Eastern European affairs, but there will be no recognition of the nationality of two players involved.

Sabalenka and her Belarusian compatriot Victoria Azarenka are playing for a nation whose flag is banned at Melbourne Park.

Belarus has been unable to compete in team competitions including the recent United Cup as a result of the Ukraine invasion. The duo are playing in Melbourne as neutrals.

But should Azarenka, who plays Elena Rybakina, and Sabalenka, who faces Magda Linette, progress, it will be the first grand slam final between two players from Belarus.

Sabalenka, who has won her only two outings against Linette in straight sets, is desperate for the clash to occur, believing it would help to inspire the next generation of Belarusians.

“I really want it to happen. I know that Vika will do everything she can to make it happen,” she said.

“I will do everything I can to make it happen. That’s going to be history. That’s going to [be] unbelievable.

“It just going to be huge. I think this is going to help other kids to understand that they can do well in this sport, [that] they can be top players.”

Aryna Sabalenka won her quarter-final in straight sets.Credit: Eddie Jim

After her 6-3, 6-2 victory over Croatian Donna Vekic, Sabalenka said the conflict over the past year and the focus on players from the nations involved had affected her.

A semi-finalist at Wimbledon in 2021, she was devastated to be barred from the All England Club last year given the ban on players from Belarus and Russia.

“That was tough and it’s still tough. But I understand that it’s not my fault,” she said.

“I have zero control. If I could do something, of course I would, but I cannot do anything. Just having this understanding really helps me to stay strong.”

Rybakina, the reigning Wimbledon champion, represents Kazakhstan, but her success at the All England Club was slightly awkward given she was raised in Russia and switched allegiance at 18.

The resurgence of Azarenka, a former world No.1 and dual Australian Open champion, has been one of the storylines of the tournament.

The 33-year-old was beaten by Rybakina at Indian Wells last year but is hopeful of reversing the result on the court where she has achieved her best results.

Sabalenka, meanwhile, is preparing to face Linette, who has proven a surprise packet.

It was expected that a Polish player would be in contention to win the title on Saturday night, but most thought it would be Iga Swiatek.

While the world No.1 was ousted by Rybakina in the fourth round, Linette has produced the best form of her career over the past fortnight, which continued with her 6-3, 7-5 win over former world No.1 Karolina Pliskova on Wednesday.

In 29 previous appearances at major level, the 30-year-old had never progressed beyond the third round. But she joins Swiatek and Agnieszka Radwanska as Polish women to reach the last four at a major and credits her run to feeling calmer on the court.

This was certainly evident in the second set as she absorbed the heavy hitting from the dual major finalist and held her nerve when it mattered most.

She shed tears of joy after the triumph, her delight stark in contrast to the despair she felt during this tournament two years ago.

It sounds remarkable, but while sidelined with a knee injury, she felt envious hearing about the stories emerging from players who were confined in hotel quarantine ahead of the 2021 Australian Open.

“I already [had] my flight, had my hotel room,” she said.

“I listened to everybody complaining about the isolation and I was so jealous that they had to do it because I really wanted to be there.”

Now she has the chance to deliver a career-defining moment.

“It is so emotional. I can’t really believe it. It is really a dream come true,” she said.

“I will never forget this. I am breaking through some difficult [barriers] here.”

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