Aryna Sabalenka missed Wimbledon last year because of the ban and it was a tough thing to endure as she cried during the event.
Aryna Sabalenka loves playing at Wimbledon and there are many reasons for it. It helps that the event is an iconic event that many count as the most prestigious. It doesn't hurt when your tennis also works really well on grass which is the case for Sabalenka.
Her 2021 experience at the event was a very good one as she made it to the semi-final losing to Karolina Pliskova. Last year was tough for Sabalenka because she missed the event over something she couldn't really control. She didn't watch it as it was too painful to see.
Yeah, I was at home having a little vacation, then practicing. But, no, I didn't watch Wimbledon a lot. I felt so bad and I just couldn't watch it. Every time if Wimbledon would be on TV, I would cry, so...
Returning to the United Kingdom for the first time since 2021 is an interesting experience for Sabalenka. There was some doubt about her visa but those things got cleared making it a possibility.
We've seen the crowd already embrace some banned players warmly though she doesn't know what to expect personally. She has no expectations but hopes for the same kind of support she had in 2021.
I have no expectations. I only have hope that they will support me as they did last year - hopefully. That's it. No expectations (laughter).
The last year and more were very testings for Sabalenka. She had to navigate a lot of tricky situations both on and off the court. The crucial thing for her was just to focus on her tennis and other things she could control. Wondering or thinking about things that she can't directly control would have been a waste of energy.
Well, that's not easy. But I'm always telling myself that the best I can do is focus on things I have control on. That's really helping a lot to not think about anything else on the tennis.
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