Aryna Sabalenka said last year's Wimbledon ban helped her become a better player after reaching a fourth successive Grand Slam semi-final.

Russians and Belarusians were banned following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"I was really sad I couldn't play," she said. "But at the same time I was thinking it's a good time to reset."

And it seems to have worked.

Since missing last year's grass-court Grand Slam, Sabalenka has won a maiden singles major at the Australian Open in January as well as reaching the semi-finals at the US Open, French Open and now Wimbledon.

She will also replace Iga Swiatek as world number one if she reaches Saturday's final at the All England Club.

It is quite a turnaround for the 25-year-old, who has in the past been known for her inconsistency and habit of choking in the big moments.

"I just took that time [the ban] as a good preparation, as a good little switch," she told a news conference. "Everything started working better.

"I think that period gave me so much belief in myself. I started playing better, I started feeling better on court, emotionally I started feeling better."

Against the United States' Keys, she was only briefly tested as she produced a powerful display on Court One.

Having stormed through the first set, she trailed 4-2 in the second but the challenge seemingly made her find yet another gear.

She broke back twice - helped by winning 12 points in a row - and served out the victory, sealing it on her second match point with an emphatic serve that 25th seed Keys could only send long.

Sabalenka will be playing in her second Wimbledon semi-final, having suffered a three-set loss to Czech Karolina Pliskova two years ago, but says she will be facing 2022 runner-up Jabeur as "a different player now".

"I'm going to do everything I can to lift this beautiful trophy," she said.

"Since I was little I was dreaming about the Wimbledon title, it is something special."

'People need to know what's going on' with handshakes

Sabalenka has enjoyed a positive reaction from the Wimbledon crowds, as have other Belarusians and Russians, with Andrey Rublev saying he had "great support" he was not sure he "deserved" and Daniil Medvedev saying he had never before received such a good reception in SW19.

Since the invasion, Ukrainian players have repeatedly said they will not be shaking hands with Russian and Belarusian players, and that has been the case at Wimbledon.

Belarusian Victoria Azarenka was booed off court following her fourth-round defeat by Ukrainian Elina Svitolina when the pair did not shake hands, while at last month's French Open Svitolina was booed when Sabalenka waited at the net for a handshake she did not receive.

Some players, including Svitolina, have called for tournament organisers to make it clearer to fans that there will be no handshake.

Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton has said there is "no intention" for umpires to be told to guide crowds on the politics of post-match handshakes.

But on Monday the WTA - the governing body of women's tennis - released a statement following what it called the "unfortunate circumstances and misunderstanding" at the end of Svitolina's match against Azarenka to give "clarity" around handshakes.

"Due to the ongoing reprehensible war, the WTA respects the position of the Ukrainian athletes in foregoing the tradition of shaking opponents' hands (from Russia and Belarus) at the end of a match, as this is a personal decision," it said.

It added that it thanked fans "for their understanding and respect for the athletes".

Sabalenka, who could face Svitolina in the final, welcomed that statement, saying: "I think people also need to know what's going on and why there is no handshake between Ukrainians, Russian, and Belarusian players.

"I really hope that nobody else will face this reaction from the crowd."