This is the Australian champion: Sabalenka’s radical transformation

“I’m super happy and proud. It’s like a relief. I was in the top ten but I didn’t have a Grand Slam. It’s a relief, but also a joy. I’m proud of myself and my team,” said the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka after winning the Australian Open 2023.

The eternal aspirant takes the difficult step to become champion, controlling the nerves that have always been his worst enemy. This greater control was part of a radical turn in his career, a change in work that soon produced an extraordinary result.

At 24, the Minsk tennis player remembers traveling in the car with his father sergey, who played ice hockey. They see a tennis court and decide to stop to try to exchange some balls. Little did they realize that this was the beginning of a career in stardom.

The outgoing Sabalenka won her 12th professional title in her 20th final defeat of the Wimbledon queen Kazakhstan Elena Rybakina, by 4-6, 6-3 and 6-4. Unbeaten this season after eleven matches, they won 22 out of 23 sets played.

The tiger he had tattooed on his left forearm was roaring. His tennis is constantly scraping. Pure power, with extreme danger. He began to control his emotions under pressure and give himself a margin so as not to make too many mistakes and hinder his achievements.

She worked with a psychologist, but decided to break up with him because “no one knows me better than myself and I felt the need to be the one to solve my own problems,” she said.

He was also not in favor of working on his serve, prone to double faults in moments of pressure, with a specialist in biomechanics, but his technical team got to test him, and he liked the experience of the last preseason. “I thought that everything was a mental problem of mine, but I understand that no, that I could improve many things. I was skeptical but in the end it went very well for me,” he admitted.

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Your coach is your countryman Anton Dubrov, who first came to the team as a ‘sparring’ in training. He also cried in the stands as he watched his pupil break down in tears after closing out the Australian Open with his fourth match ball.

That happiness and that relief recognized by Sabalenka, a semifinalist at Wimbledon 20221 and at the US Open in 2021 and 2022. Each chance she lost meant another burden for the next attempt, afraid of breaking at the moment of truth . He broke the dynamic in his team, strengthening their faith in their immense possibilities.

He opened the course by winning in Adelaide, confirming that he was the tennis player of the moment at Melbourne Park. More contained in his expressions on the track, he continues to overflow with enthusiasm, especially when he can be with friends like the Spanish Paula Badosa.

He equaled his best world ranking, nº 2, in Polish Iga Swiatek still far from one, even in this new version of Sabalenka there are no limits.

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