Barbora Krejcikova denies having nightmares about Aryna Sabalenka
Although Barbora Krejcikova trails 1-4 in the head-to-head against Aryna Sabalenka, she hasn't started hallucinating about the Belarusian yet.
The two players have already faced each other thrice this season, with all the matches coming at the WTA 1000 tournaments in Dubai, Indian Wells, and Miami. On her way to her maiden 1000 title at the Dubai Tennis Championships last month, Krejcikova defeated the 2023 Australian Open champion in the quarterfinals despite being bageled in the first set.
However, the World No. 2 returned the favor with interest, beating the Chech in the fourth round of both legs of the Sunshine Double — BNP Paribas Open and the ongoing Miami Open.
During a Q&A session on Instagram, 2021 French Open winner Krejcikova was asked if she was having nightmares about Sabalenka. The 27-year-old responded by saying:
"No, I don't. Do you?"
The former World No. 2 was also asked to comment on how players dealt with jetlag. Krejcikova remarked that in order to adjust to a new time zone, she sleeps in between practice sessions.
"Personally, when I'm at a tournament, I try to nap between practices to adjust to new time zone," Barbora Krejcikova said. "I have to force myself to stay awake for my practices even the origin time is 3-4 am and it can be very challenging sometimes. You can get dizzy and risk of getting injured is higher because your body isn't ready to practice at this time but it's usually the fastest way to get in the time zone."
"But now, I just work, getting all my stuff from suitcase, do laundry, play with my dog, do emails, plan my day, etc. I'd say regular daily routine," she added.
Barbora Krejcikova laments not getting as much recognition as Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Elena Rybakina
Last week, Barbora Krejcikova made public her displeasure at the media for not counting her among the current best players — World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 2023 Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, and 2023 Indian Wells winner Elena Rybakina.
During her title run at the 2023 Dubai Tennis Championships, the 13th-ranked Czech beat the top three players, including Sabalenka and Swiatek. Speaking to the WTA, Krejcikova stated that despite producing results, she hasn't had her due from the media.
"When I read something on social media, it's about Iga, Aryna, and Elena. I'm not really there," Barbora Krejcikova said. "This week, again I'm here and I'm going to prove it again so that I get into this Top 3. I want to be mentioned as well. I want to be recognized as well because I think I deserve it. I've had a lot of success on the tour and I just don't get the credit."
"I don't want to be forgotten somewhere in the shade of these three big players. I feel like I deserve recognition from the media and I'm not getting it. I guess I just have to win more matches and prove to everybody that I'm there as well," she added.
Barbora Krejcikova went on to lose to Sabalenka in the fourth round of the 2023 Miami Open.