MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 2, 2023

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/M. Sherif

2-6, 6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Congrats on reaching the semifinal. Can you walk us through the match today.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, it was crazy match. I'm super happy that I was able to turn around the game and win this one. I think she played unbelievable tennis. It was really tough today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. It seemed like just very early in the match, maybe just three games in, you were very frustrated. You said that yesterday you were kind of feeling not always the best. Was there any semblance or any hint that you were not going to start the match as sharp as you wanted today?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Not really. I just couldn't adjust for her game, and I was really going crazy. I'm really happy that I was able to stop myself, to take a little breath and just like start everything from the beginning.

Good that I was keep fighting for every point no matter what the second set. And then in the third set I didn't give her much chances to play her game.

But, yeah, I don't know. It was just tough to adjust for this game.

Q. You often hear tennis players say something like, I wouldn't have won this match a few years ago. Would you consider this to be one of those matches?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I would get crazy and I would keep screaming, keep throwing the racquet probably and just keep giving her so many chances to win (smiling).

Q. I remember a match that you beat Sara Sorribes, the Spanish lady. She was leading 6-0, 4-0, 10 games, and then you did another 10 games. It should have been a draw. I mean, your mentality has become stronger and that time it was a good example.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I think I'm really mentally strong. I had so many matches like that when I was down in the score or when I was down with the match points and I was coming back.

But that match against Sorribes Tormo was really a crazy one. I have no idea how I came back in that match. I don't know, especially like win 12 games in a row. It was crazy one, but that match gave me so much power, so much belief. That was really important one.

Q. I watched from the office.

ARYNA SABALENKA: I imagine. I imagine how you were supporting her. Like, It can't be true. (Laughter.)

Q. I said, Aryna might come back, because it's Aryna.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Thank you.

Q. Your main goal for this season is win a Grand Slam or being No. 1?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't know, actually. There is no -- I mean, we all have the same goals. It's like if I'm gonna say no, it's not true. I mean, of course I want to be No. 1. Of course I want to win more Grand Slams.

I think my main goal right now is just to focus on myself and that's it. Improve every day and work hard and make sure that I bring my tennis every time on the court.

Q. I would like to know what's considered the worst and best of being a tennis player, in the life of a tennis player.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Oh, it's a tough one, because the best is that we are traveling around the world and we are able to see beautiful cities. We kind of living our -- I think athlete's life, tennis player's life is a different life. But at the same time it's the worst thing, because you're not seeing your family. You're always, most of the time, you're alone and you have to deal with all your emotions by yourself.

So it's like it's the best thing and the worst thing about being tennis player. But I prefer to think that we are actually living really great life. We are learning a lot. We are able to see so many things like different people, different mentalities. We are able to learn and get, as a person, better.

I don't know. I think there is no, like, something bad about being tennis player. Anyway, we're gonna retire and we are gonna see our family for so long, I probably will be missing like this life.

Q. Now you have talked about that you learn about the cultures, about the places you're visiting. What can you tell us about Spain, the people, the crowd, the culture and mentality?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think Spanish people are so passionate, so emotional, so supportive. Also very open, very friendly people.

I really like just walking in the city and seeing how people are having the conversation with each other, because it's super emotional and I really love it (smiling).

Q. You and Iga and Jess, 1, 2, 3, all had to get through three sets in your last matches. Curious if you can contrast or compare how it feels as a top player that has won a lot to go into a third set versus a lower-ranked player who is going for an upset, compared to what it felt like when you were a lower-ranked player trying to pull that upset in the third set.

ARYNA SABALENKA: That's a good question, and yeah, it's different mentality. Because when you're young, you're really like, I don't want to say that when you're top player you don't want to win, but you understand the game better and you're not that crazy.

You can play with more passion. You're not like going over-crazy about the things. When you see opportunity, you take it.

When you're young player, when you see the opportunity, you're, like, getting crazy, because, Oh, my God, this is my opportunity, I have to take it. And you're not taking it because you're overthinking it.

As a top player, you understand, Okay, this is my opportunity. I just go there and I take it, you know. You're like calmer and understand things better. So I prefer be a top player going to the third set (smiling).

Q. So just following up on that, it's more of a panic, more stressful being the lower-ranked player going for the upset than a top player?

ARYNA SABALENKA: It's not like panic. It's just like you want it so hard when you're young, so you get crazy about things. Sometimes you overdo things. You overhit or you overtry, you know.

Even like I remember myself, like I know that my footwork wasn't really great, so I would like do it too much so I cannot adjust to the ball because I'm, like, crazy, I don't know, like on the court.

When you're top player, you don't rush things, you know. You better play extra shot than you like finish or you go with a risk, you know.

Oh, I sound smart, you know. (Laughter.)

Q. Just looking ahead, so Sakkari or Begu as your semifinal opponents, can you just talk about the challenges of playing -- I know obviously you know Maria very well. In terms of their game, can you just break it down.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, it's both tough matches. I played against them this season, and it was really tough battles.

Well, both are fighting for every point. I would say that both are really great clay court players. So, yeah, it's going to be tough.

Doesn't matter who I'm facing. I will just try to prepare myself as good as I can. Yeah, make sure that I bring my tennis in that semifinal.