Aryna Sabalenka: "I am still shocked I was able to win back to back Australian Open titles"
Aryna Sabalenka said that she is still in shock over winning back-to-back Australian Open titles.
The Belarusian first won the Melbourne Major last year, beating Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the summit clash. That was also the only set she dropped throughout the competition — a feat she bettered this year.
Sabalenka lifted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup last month without dropping a set in her seven matches. The closest she came to doing so was in her semi-final encounter against Coco Gauff, which the World No. 2 won 7-6(2), 6-4.
That was also the only match where Sabalenka dropped more than three games in a set. At no point did she look like she was in trouble in any of those seven matches, yet she is still in 'shock' over winning the trophy for the second time in as many years.
Sabalenka attended a press conference during the ongoing Dubai Open, where the moderator started the proceedings by congratulating her on a second Australian Open win. To that, the 25-year-old replied:
"It's been amazing time. I was super excited. We celebrate my win - our win. Yeah, we had so much fun. Yeah, I'm still emotional about that. I think it's the best thing you can ever, ever get. But, as I say, it's already in the past and I need to focus on the next one."
Asked by an interviewer to elaborate on the 'emotions' she is feeling about her Australian Open win, Sabalenka replied:
"I'm still shocked I was able to win back to back Australian Open. It's a dream. Yeah, I couldn't even dream about that, so... That's what I mean."
With her semi-final win in Melbourne, Sabalenka also avenged her 2023 US Open final loss to Gauff. The Belarusian then downed China's Qinwen Zheng in the Australian Open final, 6-3, 6-2 to clinch her second career Major.
"I'm addicted to wins" - Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka
During the same press conference, Aryna Sabalenka was asked if she was aiming to take her Grand Slam tally to double digits now that she has two Majors to her name.
The Belarusian replied:
"My mindset is to keep doing what I'm doing, keep fighting, keep working. After my career, to look back and think, Whoa, I was able to achieve that. That's crazy. I'm not the type of person that is going to win something and stop. Like I said, I'm addicted to wins. I felt like it's just something in my blood and I keep doing, keep working, and hopefully keep winning."
Sabalenka was handed a first-round bye as she entered the Dubai Open as the second seed. She will now face Donna Vekic in the second round on Tuesday (February 20), who beat Wang Xinyu in straight sets in her previous match.
Vekic and Sabalenka have met seven times in the past, with the 27-year-old Croatian holding a commanding 5-2 head-to-head lead.