MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 3, 2025

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/C. Gauff

6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Aryna, congrats. Madrid is a good place for you, you've won three titles here, so what do you think is the secret?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Honestly, I don't know, I'm just super excited every time to come to Madrid to play on this beautiful court. I don't know, I just love this court, I love the support here, I think that's the secret (laughing).

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Last year you lost, but nearly four finals, three titles, are you having strawberries?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, that's Oakberry. You know, they were like closing and they opened for me, and I didn't have time to have anything.

Q. But it's not that you are preparing Wimbledon, because it's the only place that you not won yet.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Maybe I, like I start to little bit early, but maybe, maybe it's going to pay off later (laughing). We'll see.

Q. Could you take us deep into what it means and what it takes to be the best player in the world?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, yeah, honestly, it's so crazy for me, and I've been working whole life to achieve this goal, and to be on the top of the ranking, that means a lot. It gives me this, I don't know, I kind of, like I feel like that my life wasn't like waste of time, and I'm where I have to be, where I supposed to be. Yeah, that just, like that takes a lot of hard work, but I'm just super happy right now to be one of the best players in the world, and to win this beautiful trophy, yeah, it just means a lot.

Q. You are the third woman in history that has achieved 11,000 points, just ahead of Serena, how do you feel with these kind of achievements?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, I don't know that sounds crazy, honestly. It's just incredible, I don't know how I was able to achieve that. I believe that we are doing the right things and things are working, and hopefully it's just going to keep getting better and bigger. I'm super motivated right now.

Q. Your three titles on clay were here in Madrid. What could be different this year in Roland Garros in three weeks?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't know, I hope it's going to be different (laughing). Honestly, I just have more confidence in my game on the clay court. I had really tough battles in the past in the last stages of the tournament. I was there in the semis and I was like really close to make it to the finals. I don't know, I just going to go out there and compete and fight. Physically and mentally I'm ready to work for every point as much as I have to work, and I really hope that this year is going to be different.

Q. You are happy athlete, a happy tennis player, but you work hard. You are moving better in the court, and you are trying dropshots because you hit so hard that you have to control, how have you done an evolution since you played doubles with Mertens, for instance?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I think, I mean, overall being an athlete it's always working on yourself, always getting better, always step back, look at your game, and see what you have to improve, and go out there on the practice court and work for it.

I've been working really hard and improving my game on bringing variety into my game, I think that's the biggest key in most of the matches right now. I'm super happy that we were able to improve my game in, honestly, in everything, the movement, my touch game is much better right now, I trust my touch game much more right now also. Kind of like trying to come to the net, I'm not sure if it's really successful so far, but I'm trying (laughing). I think it's always work on yourself, and always looking for something to improve and get better at.

Q. I don't know if you can describe a little bit the feeling that you have with this tournament, and especially with the fans. This is one of the most important tournaments in your career, and we can see the feeling that you have with the people and the tournament.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Honestly, I feel like coming here every year I feel more and more support. This year it was just incredible every time I was out there, I felt all the support. It just gives me an extra energy and power to fight, no matter what. To see all of those posters like kids are holding, it's just like a dream, and it's so enjoyable playing in front of all of the people, and feel the support, I think that's the best thing in life.

Q. Have you played against a player who hits the ball harder than you?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't know (laughing). I mean, maybe when I was practicing with the guys. I practice with Rublev, that was really intense. I was like, Okay, whatever, I'm done. I was done in five minutes, so, yeah. But, no, sometimes power is not the key. You can hit really hard but not in the right target. But, yeah, I think the guys serve stronger, obviously.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the fly. Did they ask you?

ARYNA SABALENKA: No, not yet.

Q. Explain a little bit and, yeah.

ARYNA SABALENKA: I told my team that you guys have to start to speak English in the box, just so like people understand like what's the, what's the point of everything. So there was like, I think it was against Mertens when I was, I lost the first set, and I was going back on court. It was quite loud, and I couldn't hear what my coach was saying, and I didn't really want to hear what he was saying, so I just did this to him, like wave. I didn't hear what he was saying, but then later on I watched the video and he was saying, Oh, yeah, there's flies around, right, like so many flies, which was already quite fun.

And then on the next match I didn't see it again, and I saw the video of them holding this like fly, I don't know, like a...

Q. Swatters.

ARYNA SABALENKA: How?

Q. Swatters.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Exactly that word (laughing). I would call it like a fly killer (laughing). And I was like, Okay, guys, you're so fun. Then at the end of the tournament they were like clapping it, yeah.

We just, like we take everything with sarcasm, and we make fun of each other. That's the good thing about my team, that they never take things seriously and personal, and they always make fun of me and I make fun of them, so I think that's the key to be kind of like, you know, in peace.

Q. Does it feel to you that you've made six finals in eight tournaments this year? Like are you, do you acknowledge that or...

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't know. I mean, that sounds crazy, to be honest. And it's not like something I didn't expect to happen, I work hard and I know that if I bring my game and if I fight for every point that I'm capable of that. But to actually like do it for real, I was like, Okay, this is cool. This is, yeah, this is like, I don't know, it's like a dream. I really hope that I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing and keep playing the way I'm playing right now.

Q. In general, at the top in any sport it's always nice to have someone breathing down your neck to push you forward. At the moment that's actually not really the case, you're like 4,000 something points ahead at the top. Curious, how do you tell yourself, like do you need someone like Iga or someone like, you know, someone to push you like that, or you're able to find that push from yourself?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Honestly, I think I'm able to find that push inside of myself, I would say. It's not like I'm having the easiest matches all the time, you know, like all of them can really push me to work really hard for each point. Anyway, whenever I play out there, there is like a fight and I have to overcome some things, and I'm pushing myself really hard in some of the matches.

I mean, you know, like now probably Iga is not doing well, which is absolutely fine, and I know that she's going to come back. I'm just like working for the future, like trying to improve my game as much as I can, just so I'm ready for whoever is going to bring the challenge on court.

Q. What is the toughest and most challenging part of being consistent and performing at a high level each week, given how long this season is and how tough it can be?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think manage your body is the most challenging. But I have a great team, and so far, so good. I think that's the most challenging. I don't know. Honestly, I don't know. Every time I'm coming to the tournament I kind of like, I'm not thinking about the previous one. I'm like, Okay, whatever, we leave it there. I'm happy, we celebrate, but then I leave it there behind and I start everything over again.

I think that's been working really well, and I'm not staying too long in success, and also I'm not staying in some of the tough losses. Like short memory, I believe that's the key.