Sabalenka, after her Sunshine Double: "My goal has always been to put my name in history, and I have just done it"

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Aryna Sabalenka continues to etch her name in the annals of tennis history. The Belarusian arrived at this American hardcourt swing with a clear objective: to win the Sunshine Double. And she did just that. The world number one becomes the fifth player on the WTA circuit to achieve it after defeating Coco Gauff (6-2, 4-6, 6-3) in a hard-fought final in Miami.

Following these titles in Indian Wells and Miami, the Minsk native rediscovers her best form after a start to the year where she couldn't clinch her third Australian Open title, affirming her dominance on the circuit. Despite Elena Rybakina showing an improvement in recent months, Coco Gauff fighting in this tournament, and Iga Swiatek remaining absent, Sabalenka rules the WTA with an iron fist.

And after her victory, she spoke in the press conference about the milestone achieved on this swing, her final battle against Gauff, and a March that she will not soon forget.

Aryna Sabalenka reveals what it means to be the fifth player in history to complete the Sunshine Double

"It means a lot. My goal has always been to make history, and I just did. It sounds so unreal, I don't know how I was able to achieve it, but right now, I'm super proud. And of course, super happy with this beautiful trophy."

A highly competitive match against Gauff

"I felt really good. I felt the level was incredible. The second set wasn't ideal towards the end, but I knew she was going to give her best to fight in that match and try to win it."

"There were a couple of things that didn't work very well in that last game of the second set, but I was just trying to keep a positive mindset heading into the third. I'm super happy with how I managed my emotions and how I stayed focused from start to finish."

Approaching the Miami final with a different mentality

"Well, it's deep, and it's going to sound very simple, but my mindset going into this final was: 'There's no way I'm losing this.' I tried to carry that tough mindset that I was going to be there fighting for every point, that I wouldn't let anything affect me, that I would stay focused, fight for every point, and try to find solutions if needed. And I kept reminding myself constantly how strong I am and that I could make it."

"That worked out really well. It's very simple, yet very difficult at the same time because when you get too excited, you forget everything. But in the last few finals, I've been very strong inside and very positive mentally. Plus, we had a very good preparation. I worked very hard. So every time I started to doubt myself, I forced myself to go back and remind myself: 'No, no, no. You're strong enough to do it.'

Revealing her true motivation

"I hate to lose. I hate that feeling when you lose a match. I can't sleep, I dream about tennis, I hate myself for making some mistakes that may have cost me the match, I hate that feeling. Just for that, every time I step onto the court, I try to give my best and do everything possible and impossible to win."

"Regarding motivation, I'm not even close to the legends. What's my motivation? Trying to go as far as possible in this sport, inspire the next generation, be a good example for the next generation, show that balance between life on and off the court, also help people stay healthy in such a tough and demanding environment."

An intense month of March

"What a month. It's been really hard to keep up with the pace of this month in my life: I adopted a dog, got proposed to, and won the Sunshine Double. Yes, it sounds surreal, doesn't it? Right now, I feel like I'm living the life of my dreams."

Praising Gauff's mobility

"Oh my. Her movement is something else. When you go out to play against her, you know there's always going to be an extra ball. And it's all about staying focused and being prepared for one more ball to come back."

"Her movement is out of this world. I wish I could move with 70% of what she has. But yes, she's an incredible player and a fighter. It's always a challenge to play against her, and I'm really enjoying this rivalry lately. I hope she remains consistent, and hopefully, we'll meet in many more finals."

The key to winning in Miami again

"What has really worked for me in the past is not focusing too much on the past and staying in the present. When I came to this tournament, I wasn't really thinking about defending the title or anything like that. I was just trying to take it step by step. I believe staying in the present moment has been the key to being so consistent," affirms Aryna Sabalenka, who, after achieving the Sunshine Double, aims to continue making history.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sabalenka, tras su Sunshine Double: "Mi objetivo siempre ha sido poner mi nombre en la historia, y acabo de hacerlo"