“Sometimes you need tough matches to teach you tough lessons” – Sabalenka on the ups and downs of most successful season

Aryna Sabalenka fell in the semi-finals of the WTA Finals in Cancun, losing to Iga Swiatek 6-3, 6-2, and knows that the Pole is now poised to reclaim the world No 1 ranking should she beat Jessica Pegula on Monday.

Even so, in a year where she has won her first Grand Slam and reached the top of the rankings, the Belarusian is happy with her achievements – but hopes more will follow.

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“I want to leave this season on a positive note,” she said in her press conference. “I feel proud of myself, I made huge improvements this season and I really hope this is only the beginning.”

Sabalenka: I’m going in the right direction

Asked by reporters what she had learnt over the course of the last 12 months, the 25-year-old replied: “I understand myself much better, become more mature, that was the biggest change. That’s made a huge difference this season.”

She added: “I’ve had a lot of lessons this season. A lot of tough losses, a lot of great wins, becoming world No 1…[but] it’s not about ranking. I feel like those tough matches, this is something you need sometimes to learn.

“I’ll just keep working. I feel like I’m going in the right direction, I have to stick to our plan, and just keep going, forget the negative side of this season, focus on the positive, and just keep working, and keep getting better.”

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