Aryna Sabalenka in splits after seeing Carlos Alcaraz's reaction to her stunning slice winner at Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka managed to qualify for her ninth Grand Slam semifinal on Tuesday (Jan. 21) as she beat Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the ongoing Australian Open. The player took to Instagram to share a video of tennis star Carlos Alcaraz being shocked to see an exquisite slice played by her during the match, fetching her a crucial point in the game.

Sabalenka was in splits to see the Spaniard's response to her shot.

Aryna Sabalenka reacts to Carlos Alcaraz's video - Source: Instagram

Sabalenka was seen struggling a little bit during the second set of her match. The 26-year-old came clean at the post-match press conference as she admitted to feeling "all over the place" while at play. The Belarusian was however quick to make a comeback in the subsequent set and ultimately clinched the win against the Russian.

"I think it is good to have these tough battles and be tougher in the later stages of the tournament. I was all over the place and I'm really glad that at some point I was able to put myself back together," Sabalenka said in the post-match press conference (0:51 onwards).

33-year-old Pavlyuchenkova did well to reach the QFs of the Australian Open this year and equalized with Sabalenka at the end of the second set. However, she was unable to upset the Belarusian, who is eyeing a hattrick of AO title wins this year.

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Aryna Sabalenka to face Paula Badosa in the semifinals of the Australian Open

Paula Badosa (L) with Aryna Sabalenka (R) at Porsche Tennis GP Stuttgart 2024 - Source: Getty

The top-seeded player in the women's draw of the Australian Open 2025 has been consistent with her performances till now. Sabalenka raced through the tournament with straight-set wins over Sloane Stephens, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Clara Tauson and Mirra Andreeva in the first four rounds of the tournament.

She will next take on Spanish star Paula Badosa, who will be playing her first Grand Slam semifinal. Sabalenka said in the aforementioned press conference (1:32 onwards):

"I saw her games here she's playing really great tennis. I think I just need to focus on myself and I have to stay aggressive and put her under a lot of pressure. I'm really excited to face her in the semis and it's definitely going to be great battle. I'm really looking forward."

The duo share a great off-court camaraderie and have played each other 7 times with Sabalenka leading their head-to-head 5-2. The 2024 French Open was their last meeting where the Belarusian emerged victorious.

Badosa has had a promising Australian Open run so far, which makes their clash on Thursday (Jan. 23) worth watching.