Anna Blinkova admits she’s never watched her historic final-set tiebreak against Elena Rybakina at Australian Open 2024.
The tiebreak proved a monumental conclusion to their second-round match at Melbourne Park, with Blinkova winning it 22-20 – the longest ever tiebreak in a women’s Grand Slam match – after more than 31 minutes.
The total duration of the match was two hours and 46 minutes, concluding when Blinkova finally converted her 10th match point after saving six of Rybakina’s.
“I've never watched it, I'm afraid to see it. I don't want to see it,” Blinkova laughed on the WTA Insider podcast, when told the full tiebreak was on YouTube.
“But it was something crazy. I was so mentally strong in this match. I'm very proud of myself, how I deal with the stress, when it was 17-17, 18-18. I don't know how I did it.
“I love to say that miracles happen every day, so we must believe. For example, that point at 17-18, the famous (point), if you ask me how I did it, I won't be able to answer. I was trying to run everywhere, and put the ball back in the court.
"Recently, I have won many matches like this, just grinding, just trying to run everywhere and to fight and to not give any gifts to my opponent. And it's been working good."
Indeed, Blinkova has scored three top-five wins in her career, and all of those have come in the past 12 months.
She stunned then-world No.5 Caroline Garcia on Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros last year, and since upsetting Rybakina, she upstaged fifth-ranked Jessica Pegula last week at Indian Wells.
All of those wins have come in three gritty sets, and as it became clear during her WTA Insider interview, her powers of positive thinking are an incredible asset.
"Before the (Rybakina) match I was telling myself that I will enjoy the atmosphere. I'd never played on Rod Laver Arena before, and it was my dream to play on that court,” she said.
“I was telling myself ... I should not have any negative emotions, no matter what happens. I will enjoy this moment, I will fight. And I was telling myself that I could win, that I was able to win.
"This tiebreak, again, I had a lot of match points. She had match point. But every point, I was repeating (to) myself, 'I still can win. I still can win. I still can win. I still can win.'
“I knew that I must not get frustrated when I lose the point, because it will be over. I could not allow myself to think badly. I could not allow myself to get mad.
“I was telling myself that 'I still can do it. I still can do it. I will fight, and I will fight'.”
Ranked world No.57 during Australian Open 2024, Blinkova is nearing a top-40 return after her third-round run at Indian Wells.
