CHINA OPEN

October 2, 2024

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/M. Keys

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Aryna, another good performance. You're into the quarterfinals here. Talk us through your thoughts on the match today.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I'm super happy to win this match in straight sets, especially against Madison. We had a lot of tough battles in the past. Be able to close this match in two sets, that's really, really great performance. Happy to get through this match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Your serve was on fire today. You won 84% of points on your first serve, four service games where you won every point. What were the keys to your success while serving?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, definitely not focusing on that (smiling).

I don't know. I think I wasn't, like, overhitting my serves. I wasn't rushing the point. I was just trying to build the point. I was waiting for the right shot to finish the point. So I think that was the key.

Q. I think a couple years ago you were talking about - at the start of the season before you won the Australian Open - that you were kind of going to be boring that year. I don't know if you remember saying that.

ARYNA SABALENKA: What did I say (smiling)?

Q. You said it in context of trying not to be too up and down.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Okay, yeah, I got it.

Q. Right now in your streak of 15, you've kept a very even mentality through it. Do you feel like this is the style you were kind of referring to then or is this different than that?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, I think I was a little bit wrong when I said that. I think I'm not boring. I'm still able to bring this fight spirit. I'm still very competing.

I don't know which word to use to explain. I'm not, like, flat. I still, like, going through some emotions which make me not that boring to watch. I don't know (smiling).

Yeah, I mean, I'm happy with this win streak. I really hope I can just keep going and see how far I can get with this.

Q. 15 wins in a row, three-time Grand Slam champion, US Open champion. What is it like to live your life? What is it like to be in your skin?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, I would say that it sounds so beautiful and, like, easy, the place where everyone want to be. But I made so many sacrifices throughout my career. Even like this year was a lot of difficult, really difficult moments for me.

I sacrificed a lot for these wins. I mean, that's not easy to get to the point, like, where you're able to win those big titles. It's a lot of hard work, a lot of patient, a lot of mental work, physical work. It's not that easy.

When you're able to sacrifice a lot and you're able to work hard and you're able to get these wins, that's the best feeling. You're just living your best life. You're excited to play your matches. You're excited to face whatever fight you going to face.

All those difficult situations on court are not that difficult for you anymore. You actually happy to face it, you happy to challenge yourself. You're actually enjoying all those battles.

Yeah, I'm grateful for the life I'm living right now. I really hope I'll be able to just keep going, keep pushing myself, keep testing myself, keep fighting.

Yeah, we'll see at the end of my career, we'll see how far I was able to go.

Q. You mentioned the mental battles. You've talked a lot about controlling your emotions on court. Can you talk about what you've been doing on court to do that.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Hmmm... Well, I mean, I've been through a lot. Those difficult moments, I'm just reminding myself, Listen, you been able to handle a lot of stuff, and this is just tennis match. This is just a break point. Yeah, you can handle that. You're strong enough. You have everything you need to win this match. Just trust yourself and fight for it.