A stunning 2024 noticed Aryna Sabalenka dominate the hardcourt Grand Slams and safe the world’s No. 1 rating, fueling the highly effective Belarusian’s ambitions to dominate the ladies’s sport like Serena Williams as soon as did.
Once recognized for her fiery mood on the courtroom, Sabalenka has developed right into a relentless power, blowing opponents away with a mode paying homage to Serena’s prime.
After her breakthrough on the 2023 Australian Open, the 26-year-old efficiently defended her Melbourne title in January and claimed the U.S. Open crown in September, surpassing Iga Swiatek within the rankings final month.
Sabalenka’s New York run meant she had reached at the least the semifinals in 9 of her final 12 Grand Slams – type paying homage to Serena’s 10 last-four appearances between 2014 and 2017, when the American landed six of her 23 main titles.
“I always wanted to dominate the tour like Serena did like Iga was able to do for so long,” Sabalenka advised Arab News forward of the season-ending WTA Finals, the place she sealed the year-end high spot regardless of a semifinal loss to Coco Gauff.
“It’s really inspiring… but I’m trying to focus on myself, on improving myself, to make sure that I have all of the tools to dominate the tour as they did.”
With highly effective forehands and thunderous groundstrokes, Sabalenka all the time seemed destined for a spot within the high 10, and she or he completed the 2021 season second on this planet.
Her error depend was excessive, although, and her serve was an image of inconsistency, to the extent that she led the tour in double faults within the 2020 season.
Frustration at her technical shortcomings generally left her in tears. At the Adelaide International in early 2022, she resorted to serving underhand.
A spell with a psychologist and work on her serve with biomechanics coach Gavin MacMillan earlier than the 2023 season laid the groundwork for her first Grand Slam title finally 12 months’s Australian Open.
Sabalenka continued her spectacular type and commenced to thrive away from the exhausting courts, reaching the semifinals on clay on the French Open and on the Wimbledon grass.
The frustrations returned when she suffered a heartbreaking three-set defeat to Gauff within the closing at Flushing Meadows, and she or he destroyed her racket in what she thought was a non-public second within the locker room.
Her devastation on the loss was mitigated by the truth that she had risen to the highest of the rankings for the primary time.
Sabalenka conceded the highest spot after a late surge from Świątek finally 12 months’s WTA Finals in Cancun, however she has set the usual at hardcourt tournaments this season, taking titles in Wuhan and Cincinnati to storm to the highest once more.
Growing arsenal
An indication that Sabalenka was extra relaxed with the suffocating strain on the high of the sport got here when she made a convention of signing the bald head of her coach earlier than matches on her run to her second title in Melbourne in January.
She received over American followers in her U.S. Open title conflict with dwelling hope Jessica Pegula, producing spectacular shot-making that showcased energy and poise, because of the drop pictures she added to her rising arsenal.
“Five years ago, if someone told me I’d finally learn how to do this shot, I’d be laughing,” Sabalenka mentioned.
“I don’t have touch. I’m so bad at it. Now I have this shot in my pocket. It brings a lot of pressure on opponents because now they know they have even more variation.”
Sabalenka’s response after squandering a 3-0 lead within the second set to ultimately clinch the tie significantly impressed former No. 1 Kim Clijsters.
“Just like Serena, she has the ability to step up when needed,” the Belgian advised the Served with Andy Roddick podcast.
Her coach Anton Dubrov thinks it will likely be robust for Sabalenka to hold on to the No. 1 spot by the 2025 season however mentioned she at the least now understands what it takes.
“I think she’s more mature, understanding what she needs to do to be at this level,” mentioned Dubrov, who has labored with Sabalenka since 2020.
“Because you are No. 1, everybody performs towards you want they don’t have anything to lose. They can play one of the best sport they’ll.
“And you, with all of the stress and all this stage, all the time must be constant, and even larger, on a regular basis. For her, it is about discovering the way in which to adapt to all conditions.
“She’s much better at doing that now. She understands, even when she’s not at her best level.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com