“Movement is medicine” - Aryna Sabalenka on return to training after thanking fans for their support during 'difficult time'
Aryna Sabalenka recently posted a video of her putting in the hard yards after an emotional outing at the recently concluded Miami Open.
The Belarusian has been going through a tough time after news emerged that her ex-boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov died on March 18 in what was deemed as an 'apparent suicide' by the Miami-Dade police. She participated in the Miami Open a few days later and beat good friend Paula Badosa in the second round before losing to Anhelina Kalinina in the third.
After her early exit in Miami, the current World No. 2 is training for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, scheduled for April 15 to 21. She posted a reel on Instagram where she can be seen working on her movement in a gym and captioned it:
"Movement is Medicine for the Body and Soul 🫶👊💪 #moving #is #the #key"
The video was posted just hours after the Belarusian sent a message to her fans, thanking them for their support during a 'difficult time'. It read:
"I want to take a moment to say thank you to all my fans for your outpouring love and support during this difficult time. Your kind words mean so much and I carry them with me every day. I am so grateful for you all."
Sabalenka began the year in style, finishing as a runner-up at the Brisbane International before defending her Australian Open title without dropping a single set. Her form since then, however, has dipped, with the 25-year-old recording a 3-3 win-loss record during that time.
Aryna Sabalenka yet to win in Stuttgart despite making three finals
Aryna Sabalenka hasn't won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart despite making the final in each of the last three editions.
The Belarusian participated in the competition for the first time in 2021, entering as the fifth seed. She beat second-seeded Simona Halep in the semifinals before going down to first-seed Ashleigh Barty 6-3, 0-6, 3-6 in the final.
The following year, Sabalenka beat the likes of Anett Kontaveit and Paula Badosa before falling to World No. 1 Iga Swiatek 2-6, 2-6 in the summit clash. She beat her friend Badosa on the way to the final once again in 2023, only to suffer the same fate at the hands of Swiatek, who secured another straight-sets win over Sabalenka.
After Stuttgart, Sabalenka is expected to play at the Mutua Madrid Open (April 23 - May 5), where she is the defending champion.