Aryna Sabalenka was typically honest when she discussed when she might retire from professional tennis.
Sabalenka cruised into the 2025 US Open second round with a straight-sets victory against Rebeka Masarova. On Wednesday, she will try to produce an even better performance against Polina Kudermetova.
This year's US Open is crucial to Sabalenka after Australian Open and French Open final defeats and a heated Wimbledon semifinal loss against Amanda Anisimova. An entire season without a Grand Slam title would feel like failure to someone in the Belarusian's class.
Some athletes who plan on retiring early from their sport face extra pressure to win big titles before their careers finish. Sabalenka's recent comments indicate fans do not need to worry about the three-time Grand Slam champion stepping away permanently from tennis anytime soon.
In an interview with the media outlet Boardroom, Sabalenka revealed roughly when she wants to start a family, but she expects to return after stepping away from tennis and play for as long as possible.
"Ideally, I'm not retiring anytime soon, but in like five to ten years, actually, maybe more like seven years, I want to build a family and try to get back at the level I was at before the family situation."
"I don't know, I just have so much love and passion for the sport, and that's been everything I've been doing my whole life, and I think it's going to be very difficult to retire. So, I think I'm going to be one of those people who is very old, but keeps trying."
Sabalenka's revelation is great news for the sport. She has played a pivotal role in the WTA Tour's growth in recent years. Annual audience figures for women's tennis are at record highs, and the standard is superb.
The two-time Australian Open winner's fierce competitiveness on the court, but humor and visible online presence off it, such as starting her own YouTube channel, have made her popular worldwide.
Can Sabalenka hold off her rivals in the year-end No. 1 race?
Sabalenka could be overtaken at world No. 1 by Coco Gauff or Iga Swiatek if she fails to reach the US Open quarterfinal, but it would be very surprising if the best WTA hard court player since 2023 does not get that far.
When Sabalenka defeated Swiatek in the French Open semifinal, the four-time champion in Paris's chances of finishing as the year-end No. 1 looked over. She sat at No. 8 in the rankings after not reaching a final for 12 months.
Swiatek has stunningly rebounded since, securing titles at Wimbledon and the Cincinnati Open. If the Pole retains that form until the end of 2025, her winning the US Open and leapfrogging Sabalenka cannot be ruled out.
Gauff, who made a coaching change before the US Open, defeated Sabalenka in this year's French Open final. Her form dipped afterward, but the American is still among the favorites for the US Open, alongside others like Mirra Andreeva and Jessica Pegula.
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