Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/V. Mboko

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Straight sets, but it seemed to be quite a battle out there. Your thoughts on that match.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, it was a tough battle today. Super happy with the performance. Happy the level I played on those key moments in each set, and of course happy to be through this difficult round.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I want to know what happens in your head when comes the tiebreak time? Did you switch in Amazon mindset?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I'm not really thinking about the record that I have. I just try to play point by point, trying to stick to the game plan and stay aggressive, and then basically, yeah, take it one step at a time

Q. Did you feel a little more relaxed, given that you know you can have success in those situations, and you have done it time and time again?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Not really. I feel like the moment I will feel relaxed, I will definitely start losing. So I felt like that's why I have been really successful in those tiebreaks, because I take it really serious. I'm not focusing on the past. I'm just trying to take it once again one point at a time.

I'm aggressive. I'm not thinking about this is tiebreak. I'm just focusing on my game, and I think that's been really the key.

Q. You played Victoria just two months ago in Australia. Did you see any differences or improvements in her game?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, definitely. Big improvement. I think she was serving much better than she did in that match in Australia. Definitely built more confident and was playing more brave. I think that's why the scoreboard was a bit closer than in Australia. Definitely I see the big progress.

Q. What do you think is your superpower at this stage of your life, of your game?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't have superpower. Maybe that's my superpower (smiling).

I don't know. I think my superpower is balancing this on-and-off-the-court life. I think that's what really important, and I think that's where I'm good at.

Q. The last seven women's singles champions here have all been 23 or younger. What do you think about that stat?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, I guess I have not much chances (smiling).

Maybe because of the conditions, they younger, they physically stronger, so they can handle the heat better than us old people. Well, I mean, I'll take it as motivation to break this number (smiling).

Is there anyone -- who is left? No, they still about to play. But if Rybakina wins and Swiatek wins and I'm in the semis -- okay, there's Gibson and Noskova, they're younger, right?

Okay. Well, I guess it's all in my hands (smiling).

Q. Pegula maybe.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Oh, Jess, of course. Wait.

Q. She plays Rybakina.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Never mind. Forget it. That's so bad. That's so bad of me. Forget it.

Q. In your speech on court, you reminded the audience to add some salt to their water. How aware are you in conditions like this of the audience? I know it's much more common for people to faint. How does that heat also impact your crowd interaction on court?

ARYNA SABALENKA: No, I'm just worried for people to stay hydrated and to stay healthy. Of course we would stop the match if someone feel bad, and we would definitely help them out.

But I just don't want that to anyone happen, and I just want everyone to be healthy and happy. You know, it's a happy place. We don't need that, how you call it -- we just don't need that to happen.

Q. On court you said, you were talking, giving praise to Victoria and saying she's a future Grand Slam champion. I don't think you say that about everyone. What is it in her that you see that makes her a little bit special?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think all of those young kids who's on tour right now, they all have a huge potential to be Grand Slam champions.

I just see how aggressive she is, how passionate she is, how much she's fighting on court and never giving up. I see this as a future Grand Slam champion, for sure.

Q. After watching your match, somehow I felt like I want to eat the acai bowl.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Oh, go for it. It's so good, especially when it's hot like that.

Q. I went and there was a very long queue. I don't know if you have specific numbers or figures, but do you think that you winning matches are good advertisement or promotion for that?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Maybe Georgios is proposing that was a good advertisement for acai. No, I feel like it's the best meal you could have in these conditions, and it's so refreshing, so good. But also, maybe me winning because I have been having it the whole week, so guys, go grab some acai.