World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka saves four set points to defeat McCartney Kessler 6-1, 7-6(9) at Wimbledon 2026, breaking an iconic Open Era record.
Introduction:
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka had to display all her trademark fighting qualities to avoid a major upset on Court No. 1. The top-seeded Belarusian fought back from the absolute brink in the second set to defeat a highly resilient McCartney Kessler 6-1, 7-6(9). With this hard-fought victory, Sabalenka successfully punched her ticket into the third round of Wimbledon 2026.
While the final scoreline indicates a straight-sets win, the reality on the grass was a game of two completely different halves. The fans in London were treated to an absolute rollercoaster of heavy baseline hitting and pure mental resilience.
Perfect Start for the Top Seed
The match started exactly how the tennis world expected it to. Aryna looked utterly dominant from the opening toss, using her supreme power to overwhelm the American underdog. Blasting winners from both wings and firing heavy serves, she broke Kessler’s serve twice in quick succession. See also: Diana Shnaider Stuns World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Paris
Kessler, ranked 57th in the world, simply had no answers for the raw pace coming from across the net. Sabalenka wrapped up the first set in just 33 minutes with a flawless 6-1 scoreline, making it look like a routine day at the office.
The American Fights Back with Aggressive Tennis
The second set, however, turned into a completely different story. Refusing to go down without a fight, Kessler stepped inside the baseline and started playing with ultimate freedom. The American began matching Sabalenka’s power, mixing in brilliant angles and punishing deep returns.
Kessler broke the World No. 1’s serve and quickly raced to a shocking 5-2 lead. Serving for the set at 5-3, Kessler had two set points to level the match. Many players would have folded, but Aryna found an extra gear. She saved both set points with fearless, aggressive groundstrokes to break back and eventually push the set into an intense tiebreak.
A Historic Tiebreak Escape
The drama reached its peak in the tiebreak. Kessler refused to back down, earning another two set points at 6-5 and 8-7. Once again, Sabalenka showed iron-clad nerves, saving both with deep, high-leverage shots.
On her own match point, Aryna finally closed out the epic battle 11-9 in the tiebreak. The victory carried incredible historical significance: it was Sabalenka’s 21st consecutive Grand Slam tiebreak win, breaking Novak Djokovic’s previous Open Era record of 19.
Following this dramatic escape, Aryna will now brace herself for a blockbuster third-round showdown against former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko.
