Australian Open 2024: Aryna Sabalenka owes title defence to fun off-court approach

Aryna Sabalenka, the winner of the Australian Open, has stated that her ability to defend her title was greatly influenced by her enjoyment and laid-back demeanor off the court.

On Saturday, the second-ranked player in the world successfully defended her championship by defeating Zheng Qinwen 6-3 6-2 in a resounding triumph.

Sabalenka used to have a reputation for being a tough opponent who often got angry and even cried when playing matches.

Nonetheless, the female athlete aged 26 has presented an alternative facet of her personality during the current event.

Sabalenka stated that there is already a lot of pressure on the court, so they try to keep things easy and enjoyable when they are not playing. The aim is for everyone to enjoy the experience.

Prior to the matches, the Belarusian tennis player was observed in a jovial mood. She was seen having a good time with her coaching squad and participating in warm-up routines that entailed trying to prevent balloons from touching the ground.

In addition to her amazing performance in Melbourne, she has started a unique ritual before every match - inscribing her autograph on the head of her fitness coach, Jason Stacy.

Stacy made a playful remark expressing his concerns about Sabalenka potentially pushing herself even harder in upcoming competitions.

"Currently, they are requesting me to have a tattoo of this on my head. Personally, I am hesitant about the idea," he stated.

Individuals tend to have better learning outcomes, increased focus, and a more alert mind when they incorporate an element of enjoyment and creativity into their learning experience.

The player ranked second in the world has been playing extremely well for the last two weeks and continued her streak in the final match. She defeated the 12th seeded Chinese player in just 76 minutes.

Sabalenka won the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup without losing a set in any of her seven games at Melbourne Park.

Sabalenka had difficulty with performing at a steady level during the beginning of her professional sports career. She was infamous for making double faults during important points in the game and getting emotionally overwhelmed when she was losing.

She stated that at one point, she had doubts about the possibility of winning a major tournament at any point in the future.

"I faced many challenges and obstacles, yet I persevered and never gave up."

In the past four months, Sabalenka was observed forcefully hitting her racquet onto the ground within the locker room area after coming up short in the US Open championship match against American athlete Coco Gauff.

Sabalenka expressed that achieving great victories does not come without going through some challenging defeats.

Naturally, I felt extremely upset after those games. I was shedding tears and even breaking my racquet, as you can see. I was really losing my composure.

In the semi-finals of the Australian tournament, Sabalenka faced her opponent again. Even though she lost her 5-2 lead in the first set, Sabalenka made sure to control her emotions throughout the match.

"I have better self-control now and do not allow myself to dwell on other things. My focus is solely on improving myself. Therefore, this makes a significant difference," she further explained.

Although I may be losing points during my serve, or even if my opponent manages to break me, I no longer react as drastically as I once did.

I hold the conviction that regardless of the circumstances, I am capable of persevering.