Sabalenka dazzles in £160k jewellery as she crushes Kostovic at Wimbledon

Aryna Sabalenka stepped on to Centre Court sparkling in £160,000 worth of jewellery – more than the record £126,000 prize money she has already secured for reaching the second round. The world No.1, who entered Wimbledon in underwhelming form, needed barely 10 minutes to break Teodora Kostovic twice and race to a 3-0 lead. The 19-year-old Serbian had boldly claimed she wanted to draw Sabalenka after qualifying last week, and the draw gods granted her wish the following day. But she looked all at sea on the sport's most prestigious stage, earning only sympathetic applause when she finally held for 4-1. Sabalenka closed out the first set 6‑2 before Kostovic grew into the contest, yet the four-time Grand Slam champion broke her again in the fifth and seventh games of the second with a pair of devastating forehand winners. When Sabalenka served for the match, Kostovic belatedly earned her first two break points and took the second with a blistering backhand passing shot, prompting enthusiastic applause. But Sabalenka immediately broke back with another ferocious forehand winner to seal a 6‑2 6‑3 victory. Tournament bosses enforce a strict all-white dress code, but the rules do not extend to jewellery. Sabalenka, 28, wore a £125,000 18‑karat gold necklace with 41 brown diamonds and 10 emeralds, plus £35,000 stud earrings. After the win she thanked David Beckham, who was watching from the Royal Box alongside his mother Sandra. “I’m super excited to be back, in such a special place, on this beautiful court. And Sir David – thank you for being here,” she said. “She brought really good fight and she pushed me a little bit more in the second set. I’m really happy to close it out in straight sets.”