MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 1, 2024

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/M. Andreeva

6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Well done. She's a young opponent but a tricky opponent. What's she like to play?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, she's a great player, and for someone her age, she's playing incredible tennis. She's a tough opponent, moving well, serving well. So it was a tough battle.

I mean, even though this court wasn't that tough, but it was tough to play against her. I'm just super happy to get through this tough match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. After the match with Collins, you started very concentrated. Have you played before or did you heard about Andreeva? I mean, had you trained with her before or something?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I mean, I played one match against her here in Madrid, and then we played exhibition against each other. So I know this girl, and I saw her a lot.

I mean, she's a young player, nothing to lose, so you have to be really focused and not give her much opportunity. So I tried to stay focused on myself and I tried to play my best tennis.

Q. With the three-set wins that you're able to get through obviously earlier in the tournament, before the tournament you made a joke, it's not a big three, it's a big two, because you haven't played as well as you would have liked after AO, how big was that win specifically against Collins to seemingly kind of play you into form? Seemed like the old Aryna today.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, it was really important win for me. Yeah, as I said, I kind of dropped my level for a little bit in the past, I don't know, couple of tournaments. So it was really important for me to get this tough win to feel the confidence again and to feel better on court. I'm super happy that I was able to get through this tough match.

Of course it's give me more belief and I kind of, like, started feeling better on court. Today it was kind of like a proof that I start feeling better and start playing better tennis. Hopefully I just can keep growing the level and keep doing what I'm doing.

Q. Earlier today Rybakina said that she finds these longer 1000 events quite tiring, which is probably good news for you tomorrow. How do you find them? Do you like having a day off, or is it tough to stay physically and mentally fresh?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, it's a tough question. Me personally I prefer to have a day off. It's kind of like long, it takes long for the tournament, you know, like two weeks' tournament, it's kind of like long, but at the same time I prefer to play the match than have a day off, so for me physically it's better, so yeah, that's my opinion.

Q. You said you feel like you are playing better. Is there a specific shot that when it works that it tells you you're in form?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Dropshot (smiling). No, no, there is no specific shot. It's just the way I feel, like the decisions I'm making on court, and it's not about a specific shot. It's about the way I think on the court and the way I'm making my decisions.

Q. You were No. 1 in doubles in the world. Are you still friends with Elise Mertens, but you don't play any more doubles or sometimes?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I mean, yeah, of course I'm friends with her. She's a very nice girl and we always talk to each other when we see each other.

But, yeah, I mean, I played doubles a lot, but then I decided to focus more on singles, because, I mean, it's tough to concentrate on both. It takes so much energy.

I love playing doubles, but I mean, focus is on singles. Probably one day I'll play a little bit more doubles, but not for now.

Q. Looking ahead to playing Elena again, obviously you guys have had some really tough battles in very high-profile matches as well as when the stakes are high, typically finals. What do you make of her season so far, what she's been able to do? Secondly, when you have been able to get the wins, what has been the key for you to getting them? When you've fallen short, what has she been able to do that has been tougher for you to solve?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, about her season, so far she's doing incredible job. I'm impressed by the consistency she's bringing on court. That's really something amazing. I'm super happy for her.

About all those matches, I mean, the thing about us is we are both aggressive players, we both are serving well, and it's about -- I mean, when I was winning, I was focusing on myself and I was staying really aggressive on those key moments.

When she was winning, she was more aggressive than me, and I was trying to kind of, like, save myself in those moments.

So I think the main key for me is just to focusing on myself and to stay aggressive no matter what. Yeah, I mean, I don't know. You know, like, it's tough to say the key was just because some shot is weaker than another one. It's just about to go there and be ready for a great battle, a tough fight, and just do your best in each point.