Aryna Sabalenka is almost in a league of her own when it comes to the physical side of tennis but the world No. 2 said she needed to toughen up mentally after she lost her Wimbledon semi-final to Ons Jabeur on Thursday.

The imposing Belarusian looked on course to reach another grand slam final when she took the first set and led 4-2 in the second, but the momentum quickly swung Jabeur’s way. The Tunisian broke twice to level the contest and once in the decider to take the game away from Sabalenka and reach a second successive Wimbledon final with a 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3 victory.

“There are so many things I can improve. I think it’s more mentally. It’s more mental stuff that I can improve than game,” Sabalenka said.

“I mean, everything was going well for me. I just lost it a little bit in the second set, and it’s just gone. She was going for crazy shots. I felt like she was doing whatever she wanted, and everything was going in. I was just trying to put the ball back, like, on that side.

“I’ll just keep working, keep pushing myself. Hopefully next time mentally I’ll be tougher in the semi-finals.”

After a superb start to the year when she won the Australian Open and reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros, Sabalenka would have taken the world No. 1 spot with victory over Jabeur.