Aryna Sabalenka explains where she has ‘changed a lot’ since winning the Australian Open title in 2023
Aryna Sabalenka explains where she has ‘changed a lot’ since winning the Australian Open title in 2023
George Patten
George Patten
Fri 10 January 2025 18:00, UK
Aryna Sabalenka will be searching for a third consecutive Australian Open title at this year’s tournament.
The WTA Tour saw one of their top stars take their game to another level in 2024, as Sabalenka reached world number one for the first time.
Sabalenka won the 2024 Australian Open, beating China’s Qinwen Zheng in the final, having not dropped a set all tournament.
Aryna Sabalenka speaks during the official presentation after the Women’s Singles Final match between Qinwen Zheng of China and Aryna Sabalenka dur…
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
The Belarussian continued her Major form later that same year, as Sabalenka won the US Open for the first time in her career, taking down home favorite Jessica Pegula.
Two wins that have seen Sabalenka establish a healthy advantage at the top of the world rankings, with many agreeing that she deserves the number one spot.
She hadn’t always been able to get over the line on the biggest occasions, however, with her win in Melbourne two years ago, proving to be a real turning point for the 26-year-old.
Aryna Sabalenka says her mindset changed ‘a lot’ after winning the 2023 Australian Open
In her pre-tournament press conference, Sabalenka was asked what changed the most after winning her first Major title at the Australian Open two years ago.
“I think, like, mindset changed a lot,” she said.
“Approach to the Slams is different, priorities are different.
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“I would say that mentally I changed a lot.”
Sabalenka went on to admit what she used to struggle with, prior to her maiden Slam victory.
“I have that understanding that, Okay, I got it, I know how to do that,” she said.
“I know how to separate on-court and off-court life.
Aryna Sabalenka during practice ahead of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 10, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia.
Photo credit should read Chris Putnam/Future Publishing via Getty Images
“Before an extra day off would be too much for me because I would overthink about the upcoming match.”
That’s not the case for the Belarussian in 2025, who has found a winning formula that proved effective earlier this month as Sabalenka won the Brisbane International.
“Nowadays, I really play my match, I do my best, and I completely, I don’t know, trying to forget about tennis,” she said.
“The next day I just have my hit, the rest of the day I try to go for a good dinner, relax, not really thinking about tennis.”
Sabalenka’s victory over Elena Rybakina in the 2023 Australian Open final helped spark several changes in her career, but she didn’t have things all her own way.
Sabalenka lost the first set to the Kazakh star, before fighting back to claim her first Major trophy, in front of a packed out crowd on Rod Laver Arena.
A feat that she repeated one year later, establishing her dominance on the courts of Melbourne.
Aryna Sabalenka can become the first woman in 26 years to win three Australian Open titles in a row
Dominating any Grand Slam is a tough ask, and winning three in a row is an accolade that many can only dream of.
Sabalenka has the chance to do so at this year’s tournament, however, and can become the first woman since Martina Hingis to win three in a row, when she took home the 1997, 1998, and 1999 Australian Open titles.
Since the turn of the Century, three other players have won two Australian Open titles in succession, but how close were they to completing the ‘three-peat’.
Jennifer Capriati – 2001, 2002 champion (Lost in 2003 first round)
After Hingis won three consecutive titles in Melbourne, from 1997-1999, she then lost three consecutive finals, including two to American star Jennifer Capriati.
Searching for her third, Capriati came unstuck in the first round against Germany’s Marlene Weingartner in three sets.
Jennifer Capriati of the USA in action Marlene Weingartner of Germany during the Australian Open Tennis Championships at Melbourne Park in Melbourn…
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
The American was unceremoniously dumped out of the tournament at the first time of asking, and failed to pick up another Major title during the rest of her time on the WTA Tour.
Serena Williams – 2009, 2010 champion (2011 Did not play)
In the midst of her prime years, Serena Williams won both the 2009 and 2010 Australian Open titles, taking down Dinara Safina, and Justine Henin.
Unfortunately for the eventual 23-time Slam winner, she sustained a foot injury stepping on glass in a restaurant in July 2010, which saw her miss almost a year of action.
Out injured, Williams could only sit and watch as Kim Clijsters beat Li Na to win her only Australian Open title.
Victoria Azarenka – 2012, 2013 champion (Lost in 2014 quarter-finals)
Victoria Azarenka won her only two Grand Slam titles in back to back years at the 2012, and 2013 Australian Open tournaments.
The Belarussian was looking to match Hingis’ feat in 2014, and looked good to do so, as she made her way through to the quarter-finals without dropping a set.
That didn’t last for long, however, as Pole Agnieszka Radwanska dominated the first set of their last eight encounter 6-1.
A brief fight back from Azarenka took things to a decider, but Radwanska took the third 6-0, as she crushed her rival’s dreams of a third consecutive title down under.
Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland shakes hands with Victoria Azarenka of Belarus after Radwanska won their quarterfinal match during day 10 of the 2014…
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
It remains to be seen if Sabalenka will suffer the same fate, as Capriati, Williams, and Azarenka, but as she mentioned in her press conference, she’ll try to take it match by match.
Sabalenka will begin her campaign for a third Australian Open title against 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens on January 12.
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