Aryna Sabalenka had been pushed to the edge throughout the Wimbledon Championships since her third-round clash with Emma Raducanu. Despite her numerous errors and occasional outbursts of frustration, she had managed to fight back and seal the victory, often coming from a break down or set down in all her matches up to the quarterfinal.

“She helped me make my first self-tape for the part, and she felt at that point that I should get the part,” he recalled in a People interview.