Aryna Sabalenka dreams of dominating women's tennis like Serena Williams
11/04/2024 06:07 AM
The WTA Finals in Riyadh are already smiling on Aryna Sabalenka who, after the brutal victory in straight sets against Qinwen Zheng, has sent a clear message to her rivals. A message reiterated also in words, because the Belarusian tennis player has revealed that she dreams of dominating women's tennis like Serena Williams did. The 3-time Slam champion's long streak of victories began in Cincinnati, continued at the US Open and ended a few weeks ago in Shanghai. Three very important titles, with only one defeat, in Beijing. An absolutely exhilarating moment that has earned her the 1st position in the WTA ranking at the expense of Iga Swiatek, who instead is going through a less than brilliant period.
#1 Aryna Sabalenka - This is my 4th WTA finals - Favorite title won: US Open - Who makes me laugh: Ons, Paula - Go to candy: Gummy Bears - During the off season I will: Drink (I will not tell u what 😛) pic.twitter.com/aYAp9P8wWY
— Brian | #23inRiyadh (@stanpokey) November 4, 2024
After her success against Zheng, Aryna analyzed: "I think it’s very positive that there is this rivalry, it’s very competitive. I really like it because it’s something that pushes me to improve every day, it motivates you to improve mentally and physically. Sports are like that. It would be very boring and uninteresting for the people watching and for us who play if there wasn’t so much equality. I always wanted to dominate the Tour like Serena did back then, like Iga did for a long time. She’s still very close, it will all be decided after the WTA Finals, so who knows? It’s a very exciting thing and obviously I want to dominate like they did. I’m trying to focus on myself, improve and make sure I have the tools to dominate,” she said.
Finally, regarding the prize money that will be assured to the participants of this tournament, exactly the same as that of their male colleagues equal to 15 million dollars, Sabalenka explained: “It’s crazy. I think we all deserve it, we worked as hard as they did. We make a lot of sacrifices, even more than men, and we deserve it."
Aryna Sabalenka debuts a custom Nike tiger jacket at the WTA Finals in Riyadh. Tiger on the zipper & a tiger on the back. Fierce. 🐯 pic.twitter.com/eF9lpR2bPU
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 2, 2024
On the tournament's media day, the 26-year-old from Minsk talked about some off-court topics, answering questions about the country that will host the competition.
"All season I've said that my main goal is to finish the season as the best on the planet. I will do everything I can to make that happen. I know that every match will be extremely demanding and I am ready to give my best and fight big battles. It was a surprise for me a few weeks ago that I was back at number 1 and now what I want most is to finish there. I think I had a great year and I worked hard to get there. The courts in Riyadh? It's a much faster surface than the Chinese one and the balls are lighter too. I think that works in my favor. My tennis? It's a lot of fun to hit drop shots. If you had told me five years ago that I would have this shot in my repertoire, I wouldn't have believed it, because I don't have a great hand. However, I managed to incorporate it and I think I do a lot of damage because it gives me more control over the opponent, making him hesitate. I gained the confidence to do it in a match where I had physical problems and had to reduce the rallies. From that moment on, I executed it with more sense and effectiveness, it's almost a natural shot," said Aryna.
— News Aryna Sabalenka (@Sabanewsss) November 4, 2024
The Belarusian concluded by talking about the feelings of competing in Saudi Arabia: "I have no problem playing here, I think it's important to take tennis to as many places as possible in the world and inspire young people. In Saudi Arabia they are making a great effort to promote women's tennis and improve women's lives. I'm very happy to be part of something that could be historic."
— News Aryna Sabalenka (@Sabanewsss) November 4, 2024
Aryna Sabalenka at WTA Finals photoshoot, Oct 2024 Christopher Esber @chrisesber Resort 2025 ‘Sonora’ signature ruched maxi dress in stretch viscose with silk tulle sheath (AUD $990) 📷: Jingyu Lin pic.twitter.com/5HyQLsVr7Y
— off-court outfit intrigue (@nontennisfits) November 3, 2024
