ROLAND GARROS

May 25, 2025

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/K. Rakhimova

6-1, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Aryna, well done. Strong performance today on Chatrier. How does it feel to be playing there now?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I'm super happy with the win today. Super happy with the level. Yeah, it was amazing playing out there. Can't wait to play another match on this beautiful stadium.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Here at Roland Garros, they have still line judges. Other clay events, they have electronic systems. What do you prefer, and can you tell me why?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Honestly, I'm so confused, I don't know, because I had situation with the referee in Stuttgart, and also there was tricky calls with the Hawk-Eye system in Rome. So I'm really confused what I prefer, to be honest.

But I guess there is some, like, old school why having the referees and calling the referee to check the mark. I think that's something which brings like in old days, which is cool, probably.

So I don't know. Honestly, I'm really confused with my opinion. I don't really have any, because I had situations in both situations.

Q. Obviously last year was a tough ending for you with the illness.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah.

Q. How much motivation does that give you to have an even better tournament this year?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Honestly, usually this kind of stuff motivates me a lot to come back and do better, but I'm not really trying to focus what happened last year. I'm just trying to, you know, live my life, work hard on court, and go out there every time and fight for every point, and I really hope for a better result than last year (smiling).

Q. You have already talked about Nadal in the court. Would you like to have a few more words about how much inspiration he represents, and if you're looking forward to be there at the central court to see the event tonight?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, he's an inspiration for so many kids. He was an inspiration for me to see the hard work he put in and just incredible. He's a nice guy and he worked super hard to achieve everything he achieved.

Yeah, he definitely been my inspiration. I'm really looking forward for this ceremony this night.

Q. One shot I really like from you that you hit is angled backhand, when you hit a shot angled and it is kind of brushed to the side. Make sense?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Like backhand short crosscourt?

Q. Yeah. Sometimes you hit that really well. How difficult is that shot to hit? Yeah, when you do bring it out, when are you inspired to bring it out?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't know. I think there is something in my technique, because I never go there. I go deep crosscourt, and it just land there. I'm like, Okay, whatever. I guess that's just the way it should be.

I don't know. I'm practicing a lot, and we practiced that shot a lot if it being like for real. But honestly on the matches, I'm not trying to go like that short angle, but somehow, yeah, I just have this feeling on the shot, and I just go for it.

I think it's a very good shot to have, because I think after this one, you have, yeah, you have advantage and you control the point after that shot. It's a very good one to have (smiling).

Q. Is it really hard to hit, though, to make it so short?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, it is. It is hard. I think both of your hands should be pretty good and you should have a good touch. It takes a little while to improve the shot.

Q. I don't know if you are one of those who look at the draw or you don't look too much.

ARYNA SABALENKA: If you're about to tell me something, don't do it. I'm kidding. You can say. I don't care. I never look that far, but I don't care.

Q. So you don't look at the draw? That is what I'm asking.

ARYNA SABALENKA: No, not really (smiling).

Q. Well, then forget it.

ARYNA SABALENKA: But I can predict your question. Was it about... (Laughter.) Missed opportunity.

Q. I heard that your trainer is also specialized in Brazilian Jujitsu. Is that right?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yes, he is.

Q. I was wondering if he installed the techniques or something of that Jujitsu, your training or preparation, and if he does, how does it work for you?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, overall, the Jujitsu outlook is they have really amazing control over their body, and when we do fitness, we have a lot of exercise from the Jujitsu for the core, for the connections, just for control over the body.

So, yeah, he definitely brought a lot of stuff in the Jujitsu for my fitness.

Q. You're the World No. 1 since October, yes? How do you feel? How do you deal with this role? Pressure, expectations, and with the comparison when you were the World No. 1 in 2023?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, 2023 was a very fast one, you know, for a week or something (smiling). Yeah, two weeks. I mean, two weeks, it's a lot, you know.

Honestly, I don't think about that. Of course it's always been my goal, you know, to reach World No. 1 position. But at this stage of the career, it doesn't really matter, you know. You just have to focus on yourself. You have to improve your game and get better basically every day. So I'm focusing on myself.

Anyway, doesn't matter if you're No. 1, 2, 3 or 10, you have to go out there and fight. You have to bring your best tennis and you really have to work for each win.

That's how I approach it. Honestly, I don't feel any more pressure or expectations than it was like when I was No. 2 or 10.

Q. Not about the draw. Yesterday I read that the French Federation, which is a very rich federation, has only one player in the top 100, which is Varvara Gracheva, formerly Russian. Italy has only one player, let's say, like Paolini, even if there is Bronzetti and Cocciaretto in the top 100. Do you think that it is because those countries are so rich in a way, the lifestyle is so, you know, rich also that the tennis players, the women tennis players, don't like to make all those efforts to become good players? Do you think that it's easier in the Eastern countries? I don't say only about Belarus, but Czech Republic. Do you think there is a reason why you're more hungry? You want to become champion because it's a way to, you know, to have success? In the richest countries, it's more difficult that they make sacrifice? Maybe the parents don't want them to work hard and they prefer that they study, graduate, and so on?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, that's a big question. I have to say that probably because of the environment and in the history of European countries, we are much tougher. Whoever got through the tough stuff, they, like, mentally and physically, they much stronger than probably, not like the rest of the world, but most of the girls on tour.

But I don't know, honestly, why it's like that. But I definitely think that the environment we have in our countries, which is like very tough and coaches are very brutal, you know, there is nothing nice about the way they, like, work with their players, they quite rude. I think that's why maybe our mentality is much stronger, but also, the same time, they kind of like broke so many players because of that aggressive mindset.

So I don't know. I think in Europe and the States, the environment is much healthier so it's probably all about the way the family, the way they, how you say, they raise their kids and how they --

Q. Push?

ARYNA SABALENKA: -- push them. Yeah, but my parents weren't the ones pushing me too much. The only one request they had is stop hitting the racquets, which I wasn't really following that order, I'd say.

But I definitely say that Eastern European school is very tough. I think that's why whoever survive that school, they're really tough.