"There is already fight where the trophy is going, she's really pi**ed" - Aryna Sabalenka jokes about speaking to her mother after Australian Open win
Aryna Sabalenka recently revealed a humorous feud with her mom over the placement of her Australian Open trophy.
Sabalenka secured her second Grand Slam title by defeating 12th seed Zheng Qinwen in the final with a score of 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday, claiming her second Melbourne Slam title.
While addressing the press after the match, Sabalenka was questioned about her family and whether she felt distant from home.
In her response, the Belarusian mentioned missing them a lot and staying in touch over the phone. She also playfully said that her mom was already upset about the chosen location for the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.
"Yes, I really miss them a lot. Of course we are in touch, on the phone, but the phone is different than in real life. Of course I spoke to my mom and there is already fight where the trophy is going. She's really pi**ed right now, by the way (smiling)," Sabalenka said.
The 25-year-old added that she's glad she was able to see her family during the preseason in Dubai. She expressed how much she misses them and highlighted that they are her biggest motivation.
"But yeah, I felt so far from them. But I'm really happy that we're able to see each other in the preseason, which we spent in Dubai. So we are far but not really. I really miss them so much," Sabalenka said.
"I actually never really speak about them on the winning speeches or -- doesn't matter -- on the speeches. But I just wanted to make sure that they know how much they mean to me and that they are my biggest motivation and I'm doing everything for them," she added.
Sabalenka made a strong start to the season, reaching the final of the Brisbane International but lost to Elina Rybakina. With her Australian Open triumph, her win-loss record for 2024 now stands at 11-1.
"I didn't want to be that player who win it and then disappeared" - Aryna Sabalenka on her second Grand Slam win
During the press conference, Aryna Sabalenka was also asked about how important winning a second Grand Slam is to her. She stated that she didn't want to be a player who only wins one and then disappears; instead, she aims to show consistency at the top.
"Yeah, actually it's been in my mind that I didn't want to be that player who win it and then disappeared. I just wanted to show that I'm able to be consistently there and I'm able to win another one," Sabalenka said.
Sabalenka won the 2023 Australian Open by defeating Elina Rybakina in the final in three sets. The Belarusian now holds the record of being the first player to win the Women’s Singles title at the Australian Open for consecutive seasons since her compatriot Victoria Azarenka achieved the feat in 2012 and 2013.