Older, wiser Sabalenka on the art of taking opportunities

There was a time – and it wasn’t long ago – when Aryna Sabalenka was known for sabotaging herself in tight matches. Prone to unravelling, she hit the panic button often as a young player, and tried to overhit and overplay her way out of trouble.

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Thanks to her remarkable talents, it worked sometimes – but not often enough – for Sabalenka.

These days, the Belarusian is a clear-headed version of that once “crazy” player, and it shows in her game when the pressure is on.

Poise under pressure is the biggest reason that Aryna Sabalenka won her first major in 2023, coming through an absolute battle with Elena Rybakina, winning from a set down to claim her maiden Grand Slam title.

Today in Madrid, after battling back from a set down to defeat Egypt’s Mayar Sherif, Sabalenka talked about the lessons learned and the difference between her mentality now compared to in her younger years.

“It’s different mentality,” she said, when asked what it feels like to play three-setters in her current elite status, compared to years ago, when she was lower-ranked and a far less proven commodity on tour. “I don’t want to say that when you’re top player you don’t want to win, but you understand the game better and you’re not that crazy.

“You can play with more passion. You’re not like going over-crazy about the things. When you see opportunity, you take it.”

Sabalenka, 5-1 in three-setters in 2023 thus far, knows all too well that the nerves and desire – wanting it too much – can get in the way of proper, effective tactics for a young player.

“When you’re young player, when you see the opportunity, you’re getting crazy because: ‘Oh, my God, this is my opportunity, I have to take it,’ And you’re not taking it because you’re overthinking it,” she said.

“As a top player, you understand: ‘Okay, this is my opportunity. I just go there and I take it.’ You’re calmer and understand things better. So I prefer be a top player going to the third set.”

“You get crazy about things”

Sabalenka wanted to clarify one thing. Panic, she says, is not an accurate word to describe the struggles she encountered in tight matches in her younger years.

“It’s not like panic,” the 24-year-old says. “It’s just like you want it so hard when you’re young, so you get crazy about things. Sometimes you overdo things. You overhit or you overtry, you know.

“When you’re top player, you don’t rush things, you know. You better play extra shot than finish or you go with a risk.”

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