Sabalenka, après son Sunshine Double : "Mon objectif a toujours été de mettre mon nom dans l'histoire, et je viens de le faire"

Aryna Sabalenka continues to write her name in the annals of tennis history. The Belarusian arrived at this U.S. hard court 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 recovers her best form after a year start in which she failed to win her third Australian Open and confirms herself as the queen of the circuit. Despite Elena Rybakina stepping up her game in recent months, Coco Gauff putting up a fight in this tournament, and Iga Swiatek remaining absent, Sabalenka rules the WTA with an iron fist.

And after her victory, she spoke in the post-match press conference about her achievement on this swing, her final battle against Gauff, and about a month of March she won't soon forget.

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Aryna Sabalenka confesses what it means to be the fifth player in history to achieve the Sunshine Double

"It means a lot. My goal has always been to etch my name in history, and I just did it. It sounds so unreal, I don’t know how I was able to pull that off, but right now I’m super proud. And, of course, super happy with this beautiful trophy."

A fiercely competitive match against Gauff

"I felt really good. I felt the level was amazing. The second set didn’t end ideally, but I knew she was going to give her best to fight that match and try to win."

"There were a couple of things that didn’t really work out in that last game of the second set, but I was just trying to keep a positive mentality going 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 mindset

"Well, it’s something 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, not letting anything affect me, staying focused, fighting every point, and trying to find solutions when needed. And I kept telling myself how strong I am and that I could do it."

"That worked really well. It’s very simple, yet very hard 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. Also, we had a really good preparation. I worked really hard. So every time I started doubting myself, I forced myself to go back and remind myself: ‘No, no, no. You are strong enough to make it’."

Revealing her true motivation

"I hate losing. I hate that feeling when you lose a match. I can’t sleep, I dream about tennis, I hate myself for making some errors that maybe cost me the match, I hate that feeling. Just because of that, every time I step on the court, I try to give my best and do everything possible and impossible to win."

"As for motivation, I’m not even close to the legends. What is 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, and help people stay healthy in such a tough and demanding environment."

One intense month of March

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

Praising Gauff’s mobility

"Oh my God. Her movement is something else. When you step on the court to play against her, you know there’s always going to be an extra ball coming back. It’s all about staying focused and being ready for that one more ball."

"Her movement is out of the ordinary. 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 stays consistent, and hopefully, we’ll meet in many more finals."

The key to winning again in Miami

"What has really worked for me in the past is not focusing too much on the past and staying in the present. When I arrived at 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 think staying in the present moment has been the key to being so consistent," says a Aryna Sabalenka who, after achieving the Sunshine Double, wants to continue making history.
 

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