Aryna Sabalenka booked her place in a third Indian Wells semi-final and was then put on the spot by Tim Henman when discussing her incredible tiebreak record. The world No. 1 came through a tight match against teenage sensation Victoria Mboko, winning 7-6(0) 6-4. Sabalenka failed to convert her four break point chances in the first set, but ran away with it in the tiebreak.

The four-time Major winner has become a reliable force when the scoreboard gets to 6-6, and she joked that one tennis legend was her “good luck charm” in that moment, requesting they attend her next match. But Sabalenka had no idea what her tiebreak stats actually were when quizzed by Tim Henman.

The top seed in California joined the Sky Sports team – Henman, Martina Navratilova, and Gigi Salmon – on the Stadium 1 court for a post-match interview, where attention quickly turned to the dominant 7-0 tiebreak. And Sabalenka revealed that Navratilova inspired her after she saw the 18-time Grand Slam winner sitting courtside and providing live insight during the match.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m just trying to stay aggressive, trying to stick to my game plan and play point by point without thinking about the tiebreak. And, also, to be honest, I saw you before the tiebreak and I knew it was a good luck sign! So lucky me, I got that one 7-0, can you please be more often on my matches?” Sabalenka asked the retired icon.

Henman had a question of his own for the world No. 1. “Since the beginning of 2025, do you know your tiebreak record in all tournaments?” he asked. Sabalenka wasn’t sure, but said she knew it was “pretty high”.

The British player-turned-pundit continued: “I’ll tell you, you’ve played 28 and you’ve won 25, you’ve lost three. Do you know who the three you’ve lost to are?” But Sabalenka was still none the wiser. “No, I don’t know, I don’t remember. My memory is terrible, which is good for sport, bad for life. But I guess that’s why I’m so consistent, I have a really bad memory,” she laughed.

Navratilova then explained that, during her own career, she often felt “embarrassed” when taken to a tiebreak. “Because I felt like I should have won the set already by now, but this is exactly what you want for your opponent, because your record is so good,” she explained.

Sabalenka liked her theory, and is well aware that her reputation for bringing her best level to the tiebreaks makes things tricky for her rivals. The 27-year-old replied: “Yeah, at the same time, I had so many opportunities to break, so many of them and couldn’t convert them, so I felt a little bit like that, like I could have closed it a little bit earlier and probably be in the locker room now.

“But it is how it is, and I know probably, most likely, they feel extra pressure playing tiebreak against me, so it’s kind of like an advantage to my side. Not that I’m focusing on that, but I see small mistakes that is really crucial in the tiebreak.”

Sabalenka is still eyeing a maiden title in the Californian desert, having finished runner-up in 2023 and 2025. And Naratilova may be the key to that. “It’s going to mean the world [if I win], it’s going to be the proof that if you never give up, you will achieve your goals, and that’s the mentality I’m trying to bring on the court. Always fighting, always trying, no matter what the past holds, and trying to come back and be better,” the world No. 1 said.

Once Sabalenka had walked away, Sky Sports presenter Salmon joked that Navratilova had “a job” for the semi-finals. “You need to be in her eyeline, I think that’s the thing, she needs to see you,” she told Navratilova.

“I’m a good luck charm? I’m happy to be that for her because she’s a great player and a fun person and a good role model for all the kids growing up. I’m happy to be a good luck charm,” the Czech-American ex-player smiled.

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