Sabalenka Explains How Changing Mental Approach To Clay Helped Her

| by Kadir Macar

Aryna Sabalenka's only clay trophy ever came at Madrid Open a few years ago when she stunned Asheigh Barty in the final.

She would like to repeat that this year after another solid showing in Stuttgart last week. Sabalenka was beaten by Swiatek in the final but it was still a good showing for her because she's made a habit of either winning an event this year or reaching the final. Ahead of the WTA 1000 event in Madrid, she thinks she's capable of a triumph because she's proven it in the past.

It meant a lot. I proved to myself and I proved to everyone else that I can play on clay courts and I can actually do well on this surface. It was a really important win for me and since then, I’ve really had this strong belief in myself on clay courts.

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Sabalenka has always been a very aggressive player who likes rallies to end on her terms. Due to that, she had a habit of rushing in rallies which didn't really work as well on clay. You have to stay patient and wait for the moment to finish off a rally on this surface and it's something she had to learn to finally start playing well on it.

You have to stay patient, you have to wait for a comfortable shot to hit your winner or just go for powerful hitting, you just have to wait for it, and this is the toughest thing on clay. Before, I had a different mentality for the clay court, I thought like, ‘Oh my God, it’s going to be long rallies, no it’s not my favourite surface’. But right now I have a different approach, like I actually have an extra pause to hit my shots, so I’m not under pressure on this surface and I can hit my good shots with the pause, so it gives me extra power actually.

Playing in Spain is comfortable for Sabalenka because the clay courts play a little bit faster which is beneficial for her style of play. It's not by chance that she won her only clay trophy in Spanish soil so being back there is a good feeling.

I like to play in Spain, the support here is really good. The courts are a little bit faster than anywhere else, I think because of the altitude the ball flies a little bit faster so I really enjoy playing here and I enjoy the conditions here.

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