Home / Sports / Sabalenka's Self-Talk: Easing Pressure on Court
Sabalenka's Self-Talk: Easing Pressure on Court
3 Oct
Summary
- Aryna Sabalenka is actively working on being kinder to herself.
- She secured a 6-1 6-3 win in her China Open debut.
- This victory follows her recent loss of the world number one ranking.
Aryna Sabalenka commenced her China Open participation with a decisive 6-1 6-3 win against Mexican opponent Renata Zarazua. The victory required just 63 minutes and saw Sabalenka serve 11 aces without facing a single break point. This match was her first significant outing since relinquishing her world number one ranking and her US Open title in September.
Sabalenka, who is striving for her first title since the 'Sunshine Double' in March, reflected on her personal approach to the sport. She acknowledged that her high expectations of herself can be both a driving force and an energy drain. The Belarusian expressed a conscious effort to be "easier on myself," indicating a mental adjustment she is actively pursuing.
In other matches, Britain's Katie Boulter was defeated by Karolina Muchova, while Mirra Andreeva staged a comeback win. On the men's side, Daniil Medvedev advanced with a straight-sets victory. British doubles pair Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool also secured a win.
