Aryna Sabalenka insists her battling first Grand Slam win at the Australian Open on Saturday night was the 'best day of her life.'
The Belarussian finally silenced the doubters who questioned if she would ever fulfil the power and potential she possesses to fight past Elena Rybakina in a three-set epic in Melbourne.
The emotional new World No.2 has looked like the complete player many have being touting for the the top since the start of the new 2023 season, already winning Downunder when claiming the Adelaide International.
Sabalenka took her maiden title on her fourth match point after a double-fault and two unforced errors and she admitted afterwards she was getting nervous as the finish line approached.
She told reporters at the post match press conference.
"Well, it's going to be fun after the double-fault. Of course I was a little bit nervous. I kept telling myself like, 'Nobody tells you that it's going to be easy, you just have to work for it, work for it till the last point'."
The Minsk native who has long sported a tiger tattoo on her lower left arm but the lion inside her always knew she could win one of these things.
She added:
“I just changed how I feel. I started to respect myself more. I started to understand that actually I’m here because I work so hard and I’m actually good player. Just having this understanding that I’m a good player…I can handle a lot of emotions, a lot of things on court. Every time I had a tough moment on court, I was just reminding myself that I’m good enough to handle all this just everything.”
Sabalenka's previous best result at the first major of the year had been two last-16 appearances in 2021 and 2022, with her best slam result being semi-finals at the US Open (twice) and Wimbledon in 2021.
But a new calmness and resolve will give the 24-year-old the belief that she can go on to win many more of these events.
0 Comments