WATCH: Aryna Sabalenka's service routine interrupted by dragonfly during 2R match against Shelby Rogers at Miami Open 2023
Aryna Sabalenka's service routine was interrupted by a dragonfly getting caught in her racket during her second-round match against Shelby Rogers at the 2023 Miami Open.
Following a run to the finals at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Aryna Sabalenka made a strong start to her campaign at the Miami Open with a straight-sets victory over Shelby Rogers. After securing the first set, the Belarusian suffered a setback in the second due to an injury to her left leg which necessitated a medical time-out. Despite the hitch, Sabalenka battled past a 1-3 deficit to win the match 6-4, 6-3.
While serving for the first set, Aryna Sabalenka's service routine was interrupted by a dragonfly that was caught in her racket strings. The World No. 2 had a wry smile on her face as she walked to the side of the court and removed the dragonfly from her racket before making her way back to serve out the set.
Try playing tennis with a bug on your racket! 🪲😲
@SabalenkaA | #MiamiOpen https://t.co/iABpreE7mY
The ballboy showed off the dragonfly to the camera while the chair umpire looked on in surprise.
Aryna Sabalenka will take on Marie Bouzkova in the third round of the ongoing Miami Open.
"Of course I want to be No. 1" - Aryna Sabalenka sets new goals after winning maiden Grand Slam title at Australian Open 2023
Following her win over Shelby Rogers, Aryna Sabalenka stated that while winning her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 Australian Open was an incredible moment, she had set her sights on new goals for her career.
"It was an amazing moment, but time to move on. It's another tournament, it wasn't the only one goal," Sabalenka said in the post-match interview.
Sabalenka expressed her ambition to become the World No. 1 and win more Grand Slam titles, which she considers to be a common goal among all players. She credited her desire for success as a motivating factor that helps her stay focused, work hard, and strive to improve every day.
"Of course I want to be No. 1. Of course I want to win more Grand Slams, which is normal. I think every one of us, everyone wants to do that. Probably that's why it helped me to stay focused and helped me to keep working and just keep doing my best every day," she said.
With reigning World No. 1 Iga Swiatek out of the Miami Open and the Billie Jean King Cup due to a rib injury, Aryna Sabalenka could potentially capture the top spot in the WTA rankings. Swiatek is set to defend 4,000 points over the coming three months while Sabalenka has only 860 points to defend in the same time period.
With 3,235 points separating the pair currently, Sabalenka has the chance to snatch the World No. 1 ranking away from the Pole in the coming months.