"I lose a Grand Slam, lose some points, drop a little bit in the ranking" - Aryna Sabalenka not fearful of 'worst case' ahead of Australian Open swing
Aryna Sabalenka will come into the 2023 Australian Open swing as one of the players with the most points to defend, given her status as the season-opening Grand Slam's defending champion.
However, the Belarusian, who is coming fresh off a career-best season that also saw her briefly ranked as No. 1 in the world, is not putting any pressure on herself. Speaking to the media ahead of the Brisbane International, where she is the top seed, Sabalenka said she was mentally prepared to handle whatever the new season has in store for her.
The 25-year-old went on to say the worst-case scenario would be her losing her Australian Open crown and dropping a few spots in the world rankings, noting that it would not mean the end of the world.
"Worst case, what happens? I'm going to lose a Grand Slam, lose some points, drop a little bit in the ranking," Aryna Sabalenka said. "There's so many tournaments ahead. I'm going to try to do my best to be in another Grand Slam or in other tournaments."
Elaborating on her new mindset, the current World No. 2 said she will take things one match at a time and not look too far ahead in terms of results.
"That's why I like my mindset, you can beat me. But I'm going to prepare every match and have huge chances to win the match after match, probably to hold the trophy," she added.
"I did a big change in my mindset last year" - Aryna Sabalenka
Discussing the work that she has put in to improve her mindset over the last year or so in the same media interaction, Aryna Sabalenka said she made some big changes in her attitude.
The Belarusian said she had to come to terms with the fact that anyone can beat an opponent on the day if they are not bringing their best tennis. That, she said, has helped her accept defeats better now.
"Well, actually I think I did a big change, like, in my mindset last year." Aryna Sabalenka said. "I kind of, like, accept the fact that I can lose, that everyone can go there and beat me if I'm not bringing my best tennis.
"Kind of like accepting this fact give you more belief. You're more calm on the court in those crucial moments. I think that's why I'm kind of like not putting myself under pressure," she added.
Sabalenka has been given a bye in the opening round of the Brisbane International — a warm-up tournament for the Australian Open. She will open her 2024 season with a second-round encounter against either Lucia Bronzetti or Ashlyn Krueger.