The Belarusian star had to raise her level after Mboko pushed her hard in a closely contested opening set. The 19-year-old Canadian impressed with powerful groundstrokes and fearless play, forcing the world No. 1 into a tense tiebreak.
However, Sabalenka’s experience proved decisive. She dominated the breaker, winning it 7–0—the first time in her career she has claimed a tiebreak without conceding a point.
With momentum on her side, Sabalenka secured an early break in the second set and managed the match from there. Although Mboko continued to fight and threaten with aggressive shot-making, the top seed eventually sealed a 7-6 (7-0), 6-4 victory to advance to the last four.
The defeat denied Mboko what could have been a historic achievement. A win would have marked her fifth victory over a top-10 player this season and made her the first Canadian woman to defeat a world No. 1.
Despite the loss, Sabalenka praised the teenager’s potential, predicting a bright future for the young Canadian.
“She is definitely a future Grand Slam champion,” Sabalenka said after the match. “It’s incredible to see how brave these young girls are these days. They go out there and go after their shots. They’re aggressive and they fight.”
The world No. 1 admitted that not everything in her game was working perfectly but expressed satisfaction at finding a way to win.
“I’m happy with the win, even though a couple of things weren’t really working well today. I still managed to win though,” she said.
Sinner Advances in Commanding Fashion
In the men’s draw, Jannik Sinner produced a dominant performance to reach the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open with a comfortable 6-1, 6-2 victory over American 25th seed Learner Tien.
The Italian star needed just 67 minutes to dispatch his opponent, controlling the match from the outset with powerful baseline play and precise serving.
The convincing win keeps Sinner on course for a strong run as he continues his pursuit of a first title of the 2026 season.
Awaiting him in the semi-finals is Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who also advanced in emphatic style after defeating France’s Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-3.
With both players arriving in top form, their upcoming semi-final clash promises to be one of the standout matches of the tournament.