Monday, March 10, 2025

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/L. Bronzetti

6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Aryna, seemed pretty clinical from the scoreline. How was it from your side?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think it wasn't as easy as the score looks like. It was tough conditions out there, and happy with the way I managed that. Of course happy to get this win.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Could you say a bit more about what made the conditions tough? Coco had her first match of the tournament on that court today and said the wind was swirly down there.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I'd say the wind was kind of like changing time to time. Sometimes it was a bit too much, sometimes less, and it was tricky. You always had to adapt to the conditions and they were, like, changing a little bit during the game.

So, yeah, was pretty tough one.

Q. Going ahead to the next round, do you have any knowledge of Sonay Kartal?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I mean, I think I never play her before, and not like I saw a lot of matches of her, but I'm sure that my team will prepare some highlights of her. We'll, yeah, watch some of her games. Yeah.

Q. She likes these conditions, and she grew up on the south coast of England in a place called Brighton.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Are you trying to put some pressure on me right now or what (smiling)?

Q. I'm trying to give you some information here.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

Q. She probably would quite like it if it was a windy day. How much do you enjoy playing in the wind?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think nowadays I'm doing much better with adjusting to whatever conditions it is. I like this court, as well. So we are even on that (smiling).

But, yeah, we're gonna watch her game. I saw a little bit she played against Kudermetova today, I think, but I wasn't, like, really paying attention. I was watching from afar. And I didn't know my next opponent at that moment. But I saw some of the games, and she was playing quite decent tennis. Yeah.

Q. How much time will you take to get familiar with a player's game? You know if your game works it can work against anybody, but how much time will you spend? What kind of things will you look at with your team?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, I mean, I'd say the main thing for me is focusing on myself no matter what with my style of the game, but also, I like to know weaknesses of my opponent, and I just like to see what are they doing on the court?

We always watch some sets of my opponents and analyzing the game, and I like to know where they struggle the most. At some of the critical moments of the match I can just put some pressure in that direction.

Q. You've spent so much time on Stadium 1 here over the years now. Do you feel like you have a bit of a home-court advantage almost?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Like, if you're talking about atmosphere, I definitely feel like home here. I feel all the support. I really enjoy playing in front of the people here.

Yeah, I'd say it feels like home.

Q. The other day we were talking about your form after the Australian Open and how much of an effect that loss had on you. How do you feel now? Do you feel the corner has been turned completely and you feel that things are where they should be?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, yeah. As I said after Australian Open, I needed some time to, I don't know, to recharge, I would say. Maybe it wasn't the best tennis, and body-wise, health-wise, mental-wise, it wasn't the best time for me. We worked a lot, and now I definitely feel much better.

As I said before, hungrier than I was in the Middle East, and I really hope that I can, yeah, I can play my best tennis every match I'm playing out there.

Q. When you are not training, practicing, playing over here, what have you been doing with your time?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Right here? I don't know. Chilling, watching Netflix, watching Netflix, Formula 1, watching Netflix. (Laughter.)

Not even going out. Ordering -- actually cooking with the team. I have two Italians, very smart, I have to say. Pasta, bellissima. So, yeah, eating, Netflix, and, I don't know, having fun with the team.

Q. What Netflix?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Now I'm watching Formula 1, the last season. Before it was Zero Day. Kind of like, you know, a little bit of everything.

Q. Can I ask you a question about another player?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Okay. Go for it. Depends which one.

Q. Feel free if you're not uncomfortable. Emma Navarro, you faced her here a couple years ago. Had a three-setter. That was last year, right?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, yeah. I lost against her last year, that's right.

Q. She's kind of developing a reputation as someone who is mentally tough, good in third sets, physical player.

ARYNA SABALENKA: She is?

THE MODERATOR: She saved match points the other night.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I saw. And I remember her Australian Open matches, which all of them were, like, three sets and, like, yeah, she had crazy run there.

Q. Any thoughts about her level of mental toughness given you faced her three times? I know you have been able to win the last two in straight sets.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, she's definitely mentally tough. I mean, I don't know what else I can say. She's a great player. Fighting for every point. She has a lot of great stuff in her game.

As I said, Australian Open was crazy, and she was there. She was fighting no matter the way she felt, I'd say, because I think she didn't play her best tennis in some of the matches, but she was still there fighting and getting those wins. And also last match here, I think was it 3-5, 15-40 and she was returning, I believe, or she was serving?

It was like something like that. So it definitely says something. Yeah, mentally she's tough.