"You're the one putting pressure on me" - Aryna Sabalenka jokingly calls out reporter for highlighting dispiriting stat as she reaches China Open 4R
Aryna Sabalenka did not appreciate a reporter mentioning her discouraging stat after she reached the fourth round of the 2024 China Open. The World No. 2 jokingly slammed the individual for “putting pressure on her” by making her aware of it.
Sabalenka, the top seed at the WTA 1000 China Open, confirmed her place in the final 16 by scoring a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory against American Ashlyn Krueger on Monday, September 30. Before that, the Belarusian, who received a bye in the opening round, beat Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-4, 6-1.
With her progress at the event, Aryna Sabalenka has extended her winning streak to 14 matches, having won the Cincinnati Open and the US Open. Despite all her career success, though, being the top seed at an event seems to be the three-time Grand Slam champion’s Achilles’ heel.
During her post-match press conference on Monday, Sabalenka was made aware by a reporter that she has won just two of the 18 tournaments where she has been the top seed.
"What pressure comes with being the first seed? What can you do to flip that narrative this tournament?" the reporter asked at the China Open.
Aryna Sabalenka was unimpressed by the question. She hilariously blamed the reporter for being the source of the "pressure," considering she was previously unaware of the stat.
"You're the one who's putting pressure on me. Before, like, this question come up, I didn't even think about that," she said, laughing.
"I don't know. Maybe like in the past it was some sort of pressure. Nowadays, I'm not focusing on that. It's just the ranking. You can be world No. 1, and if you're not bringing your best tennis, like, you're not going to win the match," she added. "Every time you're on the court, you have to bring your best tennis. If it's not the best tennis, you have to fight for every point."
Aryna Sabalenka: "Right now because you asked this question, I'm going to think about that"
During the aforementioned press conference, Aryna Sabalenka noted that she has been actively trying to focus on making mental improvements that would benefit her on the court.
"Nowadays I'm just trying to focus on myself, on improving myself every day, and staying calm on court, just trying to bring my best fight spirit on court. Yeah, it's all about that I think. Yeah, I'm not focusing on that," she said.
She then teased the reporter again for bringing the stat to her attention.
"But, I mean, right now because you asked this question, I'm going to think about that. Oh, my God, I need to get better in that stat. Thank you," she joked, adding, "No, I'm kidding."
Aryna Sabalenka, who exited the China Open in the quarterfinals last year, is chasing her fourth title of the season at the event. In the absence of World No. 1 and defending champion Iga Swiatek, Sabalenka is also looking to make substantial gains in the rankings as she pursues her maiden year-end No. 1 trophy.
She faces American Madison Keys for a spot in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.