Aryna Sabalenka is enjoying life right now, but things were very different in 2022 when she contemplated stopping altogether.
The 2022 WTA season was very tough for the Belarusian, and you only need to look at her record that year to see why. She didn't hit 40 wins, gathering only 33 overall, which is the lowest number of wins she had since 2020, and that's a pandemic season.
She struggled greatly with her serve during that season, so much so that she even thought about stopping altogether. In her recent interview with Vogue, Sabalenka opened up about the period, but it's not the first time she has talked about quitting.
Life on Tour just became miserable, and a break seemed like a good option with how stressful it is.
"There was a moment where I was about to quit, actually. I can’t keep going, it's too much. But I couldn't give up, because of my family and my father. I felt like I had to keep going and keep doing what I’m doing. I know that he wouldn’t accept that and he would be really pissed if he would hear that I was about to quit because I was tired of trying."
"Especially when something was working, and then something happened and it stopped working, which means it’s there, you just have to figure out the way to get it back."
The turnaround has been fantastic to watch because Sabalenka not only stayed in tennis but also became the most dominant force in the spot. She even outplayed Iga Swiatek for a large chunk of the past few months because the Pole has one Grand Slam trophy in the past 12 months while Sabalenka has now two.
She also played in the US Open final. That's a remarkable turnaround and certainly an inspiration for all those players struggling.
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