"I want to do everything I can to make sure that Belarus is proud of me"- Aryna Sabalenka on her goals for Tokyo Olympics
Aryna Sabalenka is gearing up for her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games, which commence later this week. After the withdrawal of London 2012 bronze medalist Victoria Azarenka, Sabalenka remains the sole Belarusian hope in the women's singles category.
Sabalenka has competed under the Belarusian flag on numerous occasions as a dedicated member of her country's Billie Jean King Cup team. She was part of the Belarusian contingent that made the finals of the 2017 edition of the competition.
Speaking to the ITF ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, Sabalenka revealed that representing her nation is a source of immense pride.
"I’m really happy to represent my country, my people and I want to do everything I can to make sure that Belarus is proud of me. I want to represent my country as strong people who can fight through everything,” said Sabalenka.
Sabalenka is in the midst of a stellar season, having made her Grand Slam breakthrough at Wimbledon earlier this month. The Belarusian reached the semifinals at the All England Club, before being halted by Karolina Pliskova.
She will now head to the Olympics with plenty of confidence. Sabalenka asserted that she was looking forward to a "new challenge" in Tokyo.
“It’s my first Olympic Games,” she said. “This is something new for me. I would say this is the new challenge and I’m really looking forward to it.
"I'm not afraid of anybody" - Aryna Sabalenka exudes confidence ahead of Olympic debut
A number of top players have withdrawn from the Olympics due to a variety of reasons. Four-time gold medalist Serena Williams, Simona Halep and Bianca Andreescu are some of the names absent from the entry list in Tokyo.
Despite that, the field is set to be extremely competitive, with World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, former medal winner Petra Kvitova and four-time Slam champion Naomi Osaka all in the mix.
Sabalenka, however, is confident she has the game to take down anyone in the tournament and secure a medal.
"I've dreamed a lot about this (standing on the podium). I will do everything I can to make this dream true," she said. "I'm not afraid of anybody. I am looking forward to the fights. I’m looking forward to the Games, for the fight, for representing my country. This is something unbelievable and I can’t really think about this.”
Also Checkout: Tokyo Olympics 2021 Schedule