Sabalenka: "I Played Against Myself a Bit"

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Aryna Sabalenka is now the owner of a new title, earned at the WTA 1000 in Wuhan. The Belarusian managed to defeat local player Qinwen Zheng for the fourth time, who is also having a spectacular year but had no chance against Sabalenka's intensity, positioning herself just a few points away from the top of the rankings.

A fierce final, with a crowd fully behind their favorite to achieve a feat that seemed difficult from the start: defeating Aryna Sabalenka. After the trophy ceremony, the Belarusian attended a press conference to assess her WTA Wuhan 2024 and the challenge that a match under such conditions presented.

- Zheng's Level

Sabalenka blamed herself for going to a third set: "The conditions favor her more because the ball's pace is slower and heavier, and that's when she has more to do. Compared to other matches we've played, she has more consistency in her game. She moves well and serves well. I got a bit frustrated because I feel like I let her back into the match and it turned into a three-setter. I don't think she did anything different from our previous encounters; I would say I was playing against myself a bit. I felt good to be able to turn the situation around."

"I lost concentration in the second set, but it was a high-level match and a great fight. I'm super happy to win this wonderful trophy."

- A Crowd Totally Against

"I don't hear the crowd when they are against me, I don't focus on that anymore, just on myself and my team, on technical and tactical matters. I'm glad I lost the 2023 US Open final against Coco Gauff. That taught me a lot, and now when the crowd is against me, I don't feel it."

- Battle for Number 1

Aryna is 70 points away from surpassing Iga Swiatek and reclaiming the world number 1 spot, a topic she was asked about: "The ranking is very tight, and it's nice to see. I always say that reaching the top is one of my goals, but I prefer to focus on myself and keep working hard. We'll see at the end of the year if I've been good enough to deserve to be world number 1."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sabalenka: "Jugué un poco contra mí misma"