"I'm not trying to chase her" - Sabalenka on Swiatek ahead of 2023

As the 2023 season approaches, world no. 5 Aryna Sabalenka is looking ahead to the competition and what it will take to succeed on the court.

One player who will be tough to beat is three-time Grand Slam champion and world no. 1 Iga Swiatek, who dominated in 2022 and finished well ahead of everyone in the WTA Rankings. In 2022, they met six times, and the Belarusian won only once.

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In a recent interview with WTATennis.com after their exhibition match in Dubai, which was won by the young Pole, Sabalenka spoke about her experiences playing against Swiatek and her approach to the upcoming season. "I played a lot against her this year, tonight I just tried to have fun," she said. "I feel confident going into the next year. I'm not trying to chase her. I'm just trying to improve myself and to be better every day."

Sabalenka also emphasized the importance of starting each new season with a fresh mindset and not relying on past success to guarantee future victories. "Every season is different. The previous season cannot guarantee you the good next season," she said. "It's really good for me that I finished well, so at least I don't have this kind of thinking like, what's going to happen next season?"

"What's going on with my serve? At least I can just practice more calmly, knowing I just have to work hard and things will work for me. There’s a lot of things I’m focusing on with my serve and I changed it a lot, which really helps me a lot."