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Last year, Aryna Sabalenka concluded the most successful season of her career as the second-ranked player in the world. However, it was challenging to evaluate her development. On one hand, she had accomplished a great deal, including winning her first major title, becoming a formidable opponent for Iga Swiatek, and maintaining a high level of performance throughout the season. On the other hand, there was still room for improvement.
Following her victory at the Australian Open, Sabalenka had strong performances at the remaining grand slam tournaments, advancing to two more semi-finals and one final. However, in each of these matches, she held the lead before succumbing to the pressure and ultimately losing. While it was still a successful year, it had the potential to be one of the most impressive seasons in the last ten years.
During this time, Sabalenka has shown remarkable resilience. Despite facing setbacks last year, she was able to quickly bounce back and learn from her mistakes, rather than letting them hinder her progress. Her impressive performance at the Australian Open this year would not have been possible without the challenges she encountered beforehand.
Sabalenka explained that her success has been a result of her experience. She acknowledged that big victories cannot be achieved without facing tough defeats. After those losses, she felt extremely low and even expressed her frustration by crying and breaking her racket. However, after taking some time to reflect with her team, they come up with a plan to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.
After overcoming challenges and achieving two grand slam titles, the 25-year-old now has the opportunity to solidify her position as one of the top players of her generation. While most of Sabalenka’s victories have been on hard courts (12 out of 14), her versatility is evident as she excels on all surfaces. In 2020, she won the Madrid Open on clay and came close to reaching the French Open final, losing to Karolina Muchova by just one point. She has also made it to the semi-finals at Wimbledon in back-to-back years.
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She possesses the necessary skills, mindset, and talent to continuously increase her number of grand slam titles, regardless of the playing surface. However, this does not guarantee that she will have an easy path. Just as Swiatek’s exceptional performance in 2022 served as inspiration for Sabalenka, Swiatek’s strong start to the season as the Australian Open champion should motivate her greatly. It would be a letdown if the two do not compete for top titles this year.
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Thirty minutes prior to the Saturday final, there was a photo of Sabalenka signing her autograph on the hairless head of her fitness coach, Jason Stacy. This has been a tradition for her throughout the tournament. Despite the silliness of the moment, it provided valuable insight into how she and her team have achieved success.
While on the court, Sabalenka displays a fierce and unyielding demeanor. However, her achievements serve as a reminder of the value of finding joy in her work, even amid the intense pressure of grand slam tournaments. The positive and supportive atmosphere she has cultivated with her team, led by coach Anton Dubrov, stands in stark contrast to the relationships between some other players and their teams. This environment is sure to aid in her growth and development as a player.
