ROLAND GARROS

June 3, 2024

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/E. Navarro

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Into your seventh consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal. Does that make this one special today?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, it sounds crazy to me, to be honest, and I'm super happy that I was able to bring this consistency on the Grand Slams. That's really amazing. I just, yeah, it's motivating me a lot to keep pushing myself a lot and to see where is the limit.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Do you feel more confident and stronger when the court is warmer, faster like today, or your game is the same level as the previous rounds when it was colder?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, honestly, I don't know. I felt like quite confident in each conditions, like I was playing really great tennis when it was cold. Today I played really great tennis as well. It was warm with different conditions.

I would say right now it doesn't matter which conditions is going to be. All that's matter is how focused I'm going to be and if I'll be ready to fight for every point and be ready for long rallies.

Q. I wanted to ask, there was a lot of talk about the schedule, about matches like that. What do you think about matches ending up at 3:00 a.m. and how would you feel if it was your match?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think I finished around 2 a.m. recently somewhere. Yeah, that's definitely tough. It's really tough to finish that late. The whole schedule is kind of like -- I don't know which word should I use? "Screwed"? Whatever. You have to adjust the schedule the next day, but I felt okay with this.

I mean, of course I would prefer finishing earlier and go for dinner and just enjoy the day and not go to bed too late. But when it happened to me, I went to bed close to 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. and I was sleeping until afternoon, and anyway, I was okay. I'm glad we had a day off and I had a chance to adjust the schedule and prepare for the next match.

Yeah, if you ask what I would prefer, I would definitely choose 12:00 a.m. [sic] match than something in the midnight.

Q. I'd like to ask you two questions related to Grand Slam tennis. Some players will talk about having a greater sense of intensity, heightened interest and focus at Grand Slam tournaments as opposed to week-to-week tournaments, which seems to make sense. I'm curious if, for you, you do feel some sort of a difference in your mindset or your focus and the importance when you come to these four events.

ARYNA SABALENKA: I mean, definitely Grand Slams, that's the goal for everyone, and definitely everyone feels the pressure, and it's kind of like getting more intense on the Grand Slams.

But with the experience I figure out how to manage this pressure. During the match day I'm really focused and I'm feeling all the pressure, to be honest, and I'm dealing with that. But on the day off, I'm able to completely switch off and forget about tennis and go out, have fun, just to, you know, like, for my mental health to be strong and ready for the next round.

It's all about how you're able to manage the energy.

Q. Going back to a year and a half ago when you did win your first Grand Slam title, how would you describe how that, if it did, changed you or changed your life, how that affected you having gotten that trophy?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, it's a big question, and definitely it gives you so many good, I don't know, so many good things. You know, after winning a Grand Slam, you know, that your whole life you've been doing the right thing. Everything you've been doing, everything you've been struggling with it was for a reason.

When you finally get there, to your goal, it actually gives you so much confidence in yourself and so much belief that no matter what, no matter how tough, like, situations you're going to face in life, you know that you're going to get through it and that you're going to get back on top and that you're going to get to your goals.

It's actually a really good thing, because later on when you struggle with something, whatever it is, you just remind yourself, come on, you've been through a lot and you got to your goal, this is just another time, you're going to find a way and you're going to get there. It's just a good thing to have to remind yourself how strong you are.

Q. Considering your arrival, what do you think 6-0, 6-0, Iga Swiatek in 40 minutes, did it impress you in any way? Did you think, can I make it any faster? I'm not meaning the quarters, probably will be hard.

ARYNA SABALENKA: I was watching that match actually, and I was like, oh, wow, that's just another level that's so intense, and I felt so sorry to Anastasia because it was just too good from Iga.

I was stopping myself of thinking to try to do the same, because you can get really crazy with that. I was, like, okay, no, Aryna. Just focus on yourself. You don't have to do better than her. It's okay. That's just her world like these bagels. This is something about Iga. Just leave it for her. I will be nicer to my opponent. (Laughter.)