AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 25, 2023

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/D. Vekic

6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Aryna, congratulations. Into the semifinals here. Talk us through your match today and how pleased you are with your form.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I'm super happy with the win today. It was tough match. She played great tennis. Yeah, just super happy with this win.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You were under pressure quite a bit in the opening set on your serve. Talk about how you managed those tight moments.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, there was a lot of tough moments. I was just keep saying, like, just stay in the game, fight for it, don't give her easy points, make her work for it.

Yeah, basically that's it. That's how I was able to get out from the that situations.

Q. How confident are you at the moment? You must be feeling like you're at the top of your game. You won all 18 sets this year.

ARYNA SABALENKA: I wouldn't say that, but I feel like I have belief that no matter what happens on court, I'll be able to get through it.

Q. You were delayed coming in here by seven members of the Original Nine. I wonder how much you know about the Original Nine, what they did for women's tennis.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, I'm super grateful what they did for us. They just legends, you know. Thank you so much for everything they doing for us. This is amazing.

Q. What do you think you can learn from your previous Grand Slam semifinals? Do you feel like a bit of a different player now?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I feel a little bit different. I think that I lost those three semifinals just because I wasn't really calm on court. I was, like, overdoing things. I really wanted to get this slam. I was rushing a lot. I was nervous a lot. Screaming, doing all this stuff.

Right now I'm a little bit more calm on court. I think I really believe that this is the only thing that was missing in my game. If I can keep stay that focus and that calm on court, I can get through it.

Q. There was so much discussion about politics and the war last year, really dominated a lot of the discussion about this sport. Can you talk about how that affected you and is it still affecting you in these big tournaments?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, I would say that of course it affect me a lot. There was tough and it's still tough. But I just understand that it's not my fault. Like, I have zero control. If I could do something, of course I would do it, but I cannot do anything.

Just have this understanding really helping me to stay strong.

Q. Back to the Original Nine. Do you have friends from home or other places who are women athletes in other sports so that you can kind of compare how women's tennis compares in terms of prize money to maybe some other women's sports?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't have, like, friends friends. But I know some of the athletes. I know the prize money they earn. Yeah, like what we are having, this is just like unbelievable, this is just like next level. That's why I'm saying, like, I'm really grateful for what they done for tennis.

I would say I wish that all sports would be paid like that. What other athletes doing, like that's a lot of work, and it should be paid more.

Q. Are you allowing yourself to dream about the possibility of history being made with an all-Belarusian women's final?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I really want it to happen. I know that Vika will do everything she can to make it happens. I will do everything I can to make it happens. That's, yeah, going to be history. That's going to be just like unbelievable and tough to realize that this is actually happens.

Q. What could something like that achieve for the country?

ARYNA SABALENKA: What can I say? I don't know actually what to say, to be honest. It just going to be huge. I think this is going to help other kids to understand that they can do well in this sport, they can be a top players.

Q. Today in the match when you were down on the break points, instead of maybe hitting out and trying to bang your way out of trouble, you've been quite disciplined, big targets.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the different approach.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, to be honest, like before I was trying to go for aces, go for crazy shots to get easily out, to get out easily from that situations.

Right now I keep saying, like, no, work for it. It's not going to be easy. You have your shots, you have your serve. Just work for it and go for bigger targets, yeah. That just different approach, as you say.

Q. Do you feel the most confident with this situation now at the Australian Open than compared to the previous possibilities? Is it a completely different feeling for you?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't like this word 'confidence'. For me sounds like to be cocky, you know (smiling)?

I just feel like I have more believe in myself. I feel like this is the huge different.

Q. You said you're staying more calm. How do you actually stay calm? Do you have any techniques that you use?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I'm just trying to look at the situation from the top, to see, like, for example I'm up with a break, and even if she's going to break me back, nothing bad going to happen. You just going to keep serving well.

I'm just trying to look at the situation from the top, try to relax myself, try to think what I have to do. Yeah, basically that's it.

Q. Everyone would have thought looking at the draw there was a strong chance you'd play someone from Poland. Your thoughts on that matchup with Magda Linette?

ARYNA SABALENKA: What?

Q. Your thoughts on playing Magda in the semifinal.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, she's a great player. She's playing great tennis these weeks in Australia. Yeah, moving well, serving well, handling emotions well.

Yeah, she's a great player. It's going to be great battle. I'm really looking forward for this match.

Q. In terms of the semifinal, up until this point you've done what you've done before, now you're looking to win one, which you haven't done before. Can you approach that with the same mentality that you've had or are you going to feel pressure in that match?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think it's going to be a great test for me, if I can actually keep myself calm in this, I would say, key moments.

Before, yeah, I've been - how to say - in the semifinals before, and I get there with all that up and downs. All those up and downs didn't help me at all in the semifinals. So right now it's going to be a really test for me, if I can keep myself calm like I was keeping myself calm during these past matches.