It has been about ten and a half months since Aryna Sabalenka last competed on clay, a quarterfinal match at Roland Garros where she unfortunately lost to Mirra Andreeva.
After participating in thirteen hard-court tournaments and one grass tournament in Berlin, the world`s top-ranked player is eager to begin her clay court season at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Europe.
“I`m happy to be back in Stuttgart,” Sabalenka mentioned to reporters on Tuesday. “I`m feeling good and excited to start playing on clay.”
Sabalenka smiled as she said this, already aware that her on-court wait would be unexpectedly longer.
As the top seed, Sabalenka had a first-round bye in the tournament and was scheduled to play the winner of the match between Anastasia Potapova and Clara Tauson. Potapova won against Tauson in a tough match lasting two hours and 41 minutes, overcoming a set deficit and saving a match point.
However, this victory came at a cost. Potapova announced on Instagram that she had worsened an existing injury and had to withdraw from the tournament.
Sabalenka expressed concern for Potapova, saying, “I was worried about her condition, so I messaged her and understood what happened. I realized, `Now my next match is on Saturday.`”
Due to the Good Friday Easter holiday, the quarterfinals are moved to Saturday. Sabalenka will now play Elise Mertens, her former doubles partner. A potential Sunday semifinal against Coco Gauff or Jasmine Paolini is also on the horizon.
“Yes, it`s a bit strange,” Sabalenka admitted. “But we`ve slightly changed the practice schedule, and I suppose it`s gym time for me now.”
So, while taking a break from the court, Sabalenka is into her fifth quarterfinal in Stuttgart in five appearances.
Her goal is to finally win the title this year. Sabalenka has been close before, reaching the final three times. In 2021, she was defeated by Ashleigh Barty in three sets, and in the following two years, Iga Swiatek claimed the championship.
“I`ve lost three finals to World No. 1s,” Sabalenka pointed out. “I thought, `Okay, I have to win this time. Maybe coming back as World No. 1 is the key.`”
“Of course, I remember those matches. They were tough. I’ll use them as motivation. If I reach the final again, I`ll be extremely hungry and focused like never before.”
Sabalenka has had a strong season so far, winning 23 out of 27 matches, including titles at the Miami Open and Brisbane. She still thinks about her losses in the Australian Open and Indian Wells finals.
When asked if this is her best season start, Sabalenka mentioned 2023 and 2024, the years she won the Australian Open.
Her social media presence is also thriving, with 2.7 million Instagram followers and videos often reaching a million views. Sabalenka mentioned she has a team assisting her with content creation.
“I take all the photos and videos myself,” she clarified. “But I have a team that helps put it all together. A year ago, I was editing videos myself, which was very time-consuming. I decided to stop doing that.”
Now, Sabalenka and her team have some unexpected extra time.
