Following a rollercoaster few months on the Tour, Aryna Sabalenka says she feels healthier and stronger heading into the China Open.
After achieving the Sunshine Double in March (winning Indian Wells and Miami), Sabalenka didn’t feature in another Tour-level final for almost six months. During the summer, she failed to reach the quarter-finals at three consecutive tournaments while ranked No.1 in the world.
She eventually regained her momentum at the US Open, where she made it through to the title match by dropping one set in six matches played. However, Elena Rybakina denied her the trophy, and the Kazakh has also recently snatched the No.1 ranking from her.
Sabalenka’s focus now shifts to the China Open, a tournament she has yet to win. Her last appearance was in 2024 when Karolina Muchova beat her in the quarter-finals.
“I’m really excited to play the last events of the year,” Sabalenka said on Tuesday.
“The US Open was kind of the moment when I started to feel healthier and stronger. So I really enjoyed playing tennis. I got back to my mindset. Physically, I got better.
“The middle part of the season obviously didn’t go that well. I struggled a little bit with different stuff. At the US Open, I started to enjoy tennis again because of being healthy mentally and physically.
“Now I feel like I’m fresher. I’m excited to play more matches, play my tennis.”
Elaborating further, Sabalenka explains that her improved form during the US Open has also positively affected her mental game.
“When you physically can rely on your body, it really feels like a relief. You feel better to go out there and fight. I was really enjoying the fight again. I think that was the biggest click. Mentally, it makes me strong again,” she said.
Sabalenka is 46-9 so far this year and has already earned more than $8M in prize money. She is seeded second at the China Open and has a first-round bye. Her opening match will be against either Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa or Hungary’s Anna Bondár.
She is targeting her 25th WTA title in Beijing.
