Sabalenka is not thinking about number 1: "I am concentrating on myself"

Aryna Sabalenka has overcome a difficult match against Taylor Townsend in the round of 16 of the US Open to remain in contention in a very important tournament for her, where the world number 1 of the WTA ranking is at stake and it is her last chance to achieve a Grand Slam this season. She spoke about this after her victory, lifting some pressure off herself and acknowledging that it is something she prefers not to think about at this time.

Sabalenka has become the first female tennis player since Serena Williams to reach at least the quarterfinals of the US Open six consecutive times. However, in 2026 she has not been able to find her best level in Grand Slams beyond the Australian Open, where she lost the final precisely to Elena Rybakina. Even if she wins the tournament in New York, the world number 1 would lose the WTA throne if the Kazakh reaches the semifinals, but since it is something beyond her control, she said in the press conference that she prefers not to keep it in mind to avoid extra pressure.

Sabalenka talks about the pressure she feels at the US Open

I don’t know. They probably don’t understand how difficult it is mentally and physically to maintain the level and stay mentally connected, because as soon as you start thinking about it, you lose it. So they probably don’t understand how hard it is mentally not to focus on that and to constantly concentrate on improving.

Little time to enjoy the victory

The schedule is quite, quite tough, and there isn’t much time to enjoy the victories. Well, that’s our life. That’s our schedule. You just have to learn to enjoy at least a couple of days and then move on and focus on the next.

Entering 'flow state'

Well, actually, when I feel those moments, I try not to think about it and refocus on the game, because I feel that the moment you get stuck in that feeling, it can destroy you. So the moment I feel that nothing can go wrong, I think, “Okay, I need to refocus on the game, on what I need to do right now to win.”

I enjoy that moment, but I also understand that I need to refocus on other things, because that can be counterproductive. You start focusing on everything going well, and while you think about that, you lose the game plan, you lose the game itself.

The importance of a match like this for the upcoming rounds

I love matches like this because it was a real challenge, and overcoming tough challenges definitely gives you strength and a strong conviction that you can achieve it. So this type of match is a great confidence booster.

Sabalenka talks about the 5 breaks in the first 5 games of the match

Yes, she was returning very well. I saw where she was going. She was blocking very well. I guess that playing doubles and mixed doubles helped her a lot to react to powerful serves. Also, it had been a while since I played with the roof closed, so I feel that both of us struggled a bit to see the ball, and that’s why the return wasn’t entirely precise. It was a very complicated start, but then I had to adjust my serve, the speed, the spin, vary my service games to keep her off balance. It was tough. A tricky match start, for sure.

Possibility of losing the number 1

I completely move away from that because it’s just guessing. I’m just focusing on myself. I’m just trying to give my best in every match and basically fight for it. There are always scenarios for something. There are always different statistics that social media brings up, so I’m trying to stay completely away from them.

In the end, it’s the same because now it’s under my control, so I just try to control what I can. When it’s out of my control, it’s out of my control. Why would I think about that?

Implementing changes in her game

I think it’s very important to have the right people around you, people you trust and who support you in whatever. When you trust them, you’re not afraid to try it on the court. I’m quite good at bringing new things to the game. When I feel that something isn’t working today, I simply set it aside and focus on what is working at that moment.

Next match against Kostyuk or Noskova

Yes, we talked about Marta, she has been playing very well lately and moves very swiftly, so playing against her has been quite a challenge. I’ve had many very tough matches against her. She makes you work hard for every point. Sometimes you have to build the point several times to find the right shot to finish it off. You just have to be patient when playing against her.

If it’s Linda, another great player. She just won Wimbledon. She has a very aggressive playing style. She serves very well, plays very fast. You have to stay very low to manage that power and energy. Also, I’ve played a couple of matches against her in the past, which weren’t exactly easy either. So it doesn’t matter who I face, it’s going to be a great battle, a great fight, and I’m very excited.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sabalenka no piensa en el número 1: "Me estoy concentrando en mí misma"