Aryna Sabalenka on maintaining No. 1 Ranking in 2025
Aryna Sabalenka speaks about her time at Abu Dhabi, World No. 1 ranking, and what motivates her to keep on showing up.
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Aryna Sabalenka (via X/liviefromparis)
Aryna Sabalenka capped a stellar 2024 season as World No. 1, winning the Australian Open without dropping a set, defending her title for the first time since 2013. She also claimed the US Open, her third singles Grand Slam, along with titles at the Cincinnati Masters and Wuhan Open.
Sabalenka’s exceptional season earned her the WTA Player of the Year award. While in Abu Dhabi for the World Tennis League, she spoke to The National about her mindset as World No. 1, revealing how she sparks motivation whenever she needs an extra push.
Sometimes when I feel like I need that drive, which is not very often, I just remember where I started and how much I wanted to be where I am right now and that drives me crazy and that’s what helps me to stay motivated and stay hungry all the time.
Aryna Sabalenka said
Sabalenka delivered strong performances recently at the World Tennis League 2024, representing the Hawks. She secured a notable victory in singles against Elena Rybakina and paired up with Mirra Andreeva to win the doubles match against Rybakina and Caroline Garcia. Despite her efforts, the Hawks narrowly lost to the Falcons in the final with a score of 20-16.
Sabalenka also spoke about her experience at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, where she was a guest of the Alpine team. She loved spectating it and felt it was quite cool to watch.
Aryna Sabalenka believes in ‘clean sport’ when asked about Iga Swiatek’s doping scandal
The Aryna Sabalenka-Iga Swiatek rivalry in 2024 is one of the defining storylines in women’s tennis. Both players shared the World No. 1 ranking throughout the season, with Sabalenka returning to the summit of the rankings last month, leapfrogging Swiatek.
They faced each other three times, with Swiatek leading the head-to-head 2-1. While Sabalenka excelled with two Grand Slam titles, Swiatek remained a consistent force with the most match wins (59).
Iga Swiatek recently completed a one-month doping suspension due to a positive doping test for the prohibited substance trimetazidine. Swiatek attributed the presence of the substance to contamination in her melatonin sleep medication.
When asked about her reaction to Swiatek’s positive doping test, Sabalenka preferred not to leave any comments. She feels that people have become used to overreacting before figuring stuff out. She further added that she believes in clean sport.
I think the key is just to focus on yourself and on bringing your best each time you play, whether it’s Australia or any other country. You just have to bring your best every time and hope for the best.
Aryna Sabalenka added
Sabalenka will kick off her 2025 season at the Brisbane International, scheduled from December 29, 2024, to January 5, 2025. In preparation for the upcoming season, Sabalenka has been conducting her off-season training in Dubai. The 26-year-old assures there is still a lot more she wants to achieve in tennis and has been focused with her team on adding more weapons to her arsenal.
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Anubhav Bajpeyee
(173 Articles Published)