QATAR TOTAL ENERGIES OPEN

February 9, 2025

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and get started. Aryna, welcome back to Doha. How are you feeling being back in Doha, and what are you looking forward to this week?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, it's been a while since my last time here, so I'm super happy to be here, and just can't wait to start playing in Doha.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. You played the final in the Australian Open as the great favorite. How do you overcome a disappointment like this? You think you have thought of the match many time over days or not?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Actually, yeah, this one was the toughest one. I think for a week I was still thinking about that match. Honestly, looking back and thinking about those, like those two lost games, I didn't do anything wrong, she just played out of her mind, and it was her day, there's nothing to regret about, you know. I think right now I'm fully recovered after that tough match.

Q. Speaking of being recovered, this week and the couple coming weeks is pretty tough, because it's a back-to-back 1000 WTA tournament, and then you're going to have like a Sunshine Double in North America, so how do you think about that kind of very concentrated schedule?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, the schedule is actually pretty tough, especially if you make it to the last stage of the Grand Slam, of the Australian Open, I mean, yeah, then you don't have much time to recover and prepare yourself for these big events. I believe I'll just take these two tournaments as a preparation for the Sunshine one, and I'll try to build my tennis, and probably take my tennis to the next level in these two events.

Q. Do you kind of play out or think about like a whole season schedule, and making some training session and like a practice session? For instance, some players told me that they have a training session between Miami and clay court season, or like this time, or like four or five times in a year, so I was wondering if you have that kind of like a long period of schedule?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I believe in our sport it's tough to make a schedule, so you just follow whatever happens on court. It all depends on the tournaments, the way you play, how far you get, and we just take it step by step. When we have a week we do a training session, but it all depends how you play, honestly. Of course, there is some blocks in the year where you can practice properly, and there is some times there is no time, like between Doha, Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, you have to just take one step at a time, and you don't have much time to do a good preparation. But it's a good problem to have, if you make it to the last stage of the tournaments, you know.

I don't know, we follow the flow, you know. Whatever happens, if we have time it's good, if not, we just try to maintain the energy and fit in some training in the schedule.

Q. It's so big the difference between being No. 1 or No. 2 in the world. You are now the No. 1 tennis, women tennis, you feel you are the strongest, you have more pressure?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Honestly, I think it doesn't really matter if you're 1 or 2. Of course, everyone wants to be No. 1, but pressure is part of the game, you know. Like, if you're No. 2 you also have pressure, if you're No. 3, 4, 5, and I can keep counting, you always have a pressure, you just have to figure the way how to deal with that. I think I passed that stage of being under pressure and being worried about whatever, so right now I'm just trying to improve myself every day, try to find something where I'm not good enough and make it as my weapon.

The second thing is just making sure every time I'm out there I'm bringing my best fighting spirit, and trying to play my best game. There is pressure, of course, but I just move my focus.

Q. Sorry, it's not about you, but Belinda just won a tournament yesterday, just after that short period of her maternity, so how do you see her achievement?

ARYNA SABALENKA: That's impressive, honestly. She just came back, I think Australian Open she had a great run, and now she's holding the trophy. It's amazing, I'm super happy for her, she definitely deserved that. As she said, she worked really hard for that, and it's good to see. You know, it gives us hope that probably, whenever we all going to go for babies, we have a chance to come back if we want to (laughing).