Thursday, March 13, 2025

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/L. Samsonova

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Aryna, congratulations. Ahead of the big rematch against Madison. What are your thoughts?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I'm excited. I'm really excited. I really hope I can do a little bit better than I did in Australia.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Yesterday you said scoreline looked easy but match not so easy. Same thing today? Or how was the match today?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I mean, it was just really tricky conditions, and I'm really happy with the way I adjusted to wind. Yeah, it wasn't easy to play in these conditions. Yeah, happy to get this win.

Q. About playing Madison, how much are you looking forward to that? I would think the Australian Open is still fresh in your mind, but does that come into your mind when you are preparing for a match like this?

ARYNA SABALENKA: It's only coming to my mind as motivation to get back that revenge. It was tough match. She played great there. I didn't play my best, and I'm really happy that tomorrow I will have opportunity to get this revenge back.

Q. How important is that to have that opportunity relatively soon after the last time?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, that's why I love sport, because if you're not giving up, if you're working hard, life will bring you opportunity to, yeah, to improve your mistake you did in the last match.

Q. Can you imagine what it's like for an Olympic athlete to have to go four years before he or she tries to get the pinnacle to get to redeem themselves?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Oh, you mean like overall sports where they just go Olympics, happen four years?

Honestly, I have no idea. Like, for me it sounds really crazy. You basically just training, practicing, and hoping for, like, that one event.

I don't know. I think I would just, like, I would fail every time. I need a little bit more time, you know, to be in the shape. But it's completely different mentality.

Yeah, not for me. Yeah. Everyone have their own thing, and it's actually impressive how they can bring that focus in that, like, one event and do well there. It's impressive. But I don't know how I would do that. I would really struggle (smiling).