THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 28, 2025

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Aryna, feeling good to be back at Wimbledon?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I'm super excited, super happy to be back, to be healthy, and to be able to compete at this beautiful tournament.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. We've seen your game evolve over the last few years. You've been an all-court player. How do you find yourself coming into Wimbledon? After Berlin, how do you see your game?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, the grass season is pretty short. I wish we would have a bit more tournament, more opportunities, but I feel happy about my game. I'm happy that I was able to play couple of matches in Berlin, get ready for Wimbledon. I had a good one-week preparation here.

I'm just excited to start playing my first match.

Q. I wanted to ask about your practice with Coco and talking to Coco afterward. There's a lot of discussion about your comments after the French Open final, especially in the United States. How has that been for you, the attention that's gotten, and then also your personal relationship with Coco?

ARYNA SABALENKA: We've always been really good with Coco. Honestly, as I said in the statement and I messaged to her, I didn't really want to offend her. I was just completely, like, upset with myself, and emotions got over me. I just completely lost it.

I wanted to say it in person to her, but I wasn't sure if she's going to come to Berlin, so I had to message her to apologize and make sure she understand it. I didn't want to offend.

Of course, she got my respect. She knew it. She knows it. I'm happy that she was, like, Yeah, it's all good, don't worry. Yeah, as you saw the video, I was talking, we are good, we are friends. I hope the U.S. media can be easy on me right now.

Q. Different getting that kind of attention after the loss?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I mean, I did what I did. I get what I deserve, I believe. It was tough time for me. I'm glad I had a book at Mykonos so I could just get distracted by reading book. So, yeah, I got back to reading (laughter).

So the lesson is learned. Definitely not going to happen again.

Q. What was your book?

ARYNA SABALENKA: "Into the Magic Shop."

Q. What was it like hitting with Novak and Jannik? How did that come about? You guys were on court for, like, half an hour.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, chatting.

Q. He gave you some advice and encouragement. What was it like to get that from him?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Novak is the best. First of all, I was able to hit with him, which is also not every guy would be able to do. Then you can chat with him. He will give his honest advice.

It's amazing, yeah, to hear opinion of such a legend. So we were just chatting about stuff that I'm kind of like struggling a little bit. I'm really thankful for the advice he gave me. It was, yeah, like 30 minutes chat. If you give opportunity to Novak to talk, he's not going to stop. I wish I could stay there for four hours and just keep chatting. We all have our schedule.

Hitting with the guys, it's another level of intensity. It's just cool to see their level. Honestly, I hit with Jannik for like, I don't know, 10 minutes. I was exhausted. I was like, Oh, my God. I don't know. It's just like another level.

An hour with Novak, you know, now I'm recovered. I needed, like, a day of recovery. It was great experience. When you see on that side someone like Jannik or Novak, you learn from them. You reflect what they do on court. It was great for me.

Q. I just wondered whether you would love to face Coco in another Grand Slam final and get the chance to kind of lay the ghost to rest or whether you'd rather see anybody but Coco in your next final?

ARYNA SABALENKA: That's a good question.

Overall I don't really care. If I make it to the finals, I don't care. But also, I mean, I would love to face Coco. Hopefully I will win, but then it doesn't matter what I'm going to say there. If I win, everybody going to be like, Oh, yeah, of course, you know?

But I don't want to lose to show that, Guys, I learned the lesson. I'm not going to be like that. I don't know, in this case maybe I don't want to see Coco if I make it to the finals. But if she's going to be there, I'm happy because I want to get the revenge (smiling).

Q. I was wondering, what your vibes that it's the first time now at Wimbledon we won't see linesmen and lineswomen? How much faith do you have in the electronic line calling system?

ARYNA SABALENKA: What was the first part? I didn't get it.

Q. The first part, what are your vibes that we won't now see any linesmen or lineswomen at Wimbledon also now for the first time?

ARYNA SABALENKA: It's a tough one. Honestly, I don't have an opinion on, like, having the line umpires or don't have it because I had tricky experience in both situations. Like I wasn't sure about the Hawk-Eye system being right. Also I had fun experience with the referee coming down and giving probably not the best decision, making not the best decision.

But I feel like Wimbledon always been like with the line umpires and kind of like historically you see the referees there. So I don't know. Maybe I would prefer that.

At the same time I don't want to have that doubt in my head every tame. I'm like, Should I challenge or no? You look, and you're always, like, thinking too much, I would say. When you have Hawk-Eye system, you cannot arguing with the Hawk-Eye system. Whatever it is, you agree to every call, so probably I'm leaning more towards Hawk-Eye.

Q. There is no more doubt in your head about that system?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I do have (smiling). Sometimes, but not really often. I wish that the referees, the chair umpire, if he sees that, okay, the Hawk-Eye is obviously wrong, if they would have that opportunity to make a change, maybe that would be better.

Q. How do you balance the idea of, I don't know, do you want get to get better at losing? I realize that sounds weird to say. How do you balance the idea of behaving a certain way or wanting to behave a certain way when you're losing, but also keeping up your intensity?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I have to say that usually after losing, I'm quite good. Like, I can accept losing, of course. I usually never struggle.

It's just this time it was super tough for me. I don't know why. Like emotionally I wanted badly, and I was upset that I couldn't make it.

This time, yeah, the emotions took over me. But on court, like in the finals or, like, semifinals, sometimes I can get overemotional. I would like to improve that. I would like to stay to the same mentality I have during the tournament, because I believe I get overemotional at the last stages of the tournaments because, like, I have this desire of winning. Sometimes it's get over me, and I can lose control over my emotions. So I would love to improve that at the last stages of the tournament.

But honestly, I'm kind of glad what happened to me at Paris, because I was able to learn a lot. I was able to sit back and being open to myself, not just to ignore some things. I think I realized a lot of things about myself in those last stages of the tournaments.

We spoke with the team. I think we learned something. I really hope it will never happen again.

Q. What do you consider the aspects of being on the tour that create the most mental stress, the most grind during the season?

ARYNA SABALENKA: What is the question?

Q. What do you think creates the most stress, the most mental stress?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I believe we all badly want to be successful in this sport, and that's what create the stress. If you see your dream or your goal is skipping away, I think that's what create the most stress.

For everyone it's different. Some people, they just don't have right people around them, and they feel kind of like not really safe and happy with the people around them.

Me, for me the most stress is, yeah, when I really want to achieve my goal, and I see that it's not happening. That's what create the most stress.

For some people it's just tough to handle the amount of traveling. We all different, you know? I cannot speak for everyone. But for me, yeah, is like when I see that I'm not doing my best, and I'm not getting what I feel like I deserve to get, meaning like winning the titles, or I'm getting super close and then it just, yeah, skipping away. That's what create the most stress for me.

Overall with the years, with experience I learn how to enjoy it, enjoy the journey, enjoy this life. For me it's not super, super stressful.

Q. How much, if anything, do you know about your first opponent here? If you are playing a player who maybe you haven't played or maybe even haven't seen play a lot, what is your process for getting ready to face that player?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I know that she's super pretty (laughing). The other day I opened social media, and she was giving interview. I think she just qualified. I was like, Oh, my God, this girl is so beautiful.

Then I opened the draw, and I see I'm playing the Canadian girl. I open her profile, and I'm like, Oh, this is the beautiful girl. That's all I know so far.

I leave that stuff for my team, and for sure we're going to watch her matches. We're going to talk about the tactic and everything. That's all I know.

It's not easy to face someone you never seen before and, yeah, you never had a chance to see her game. But I'm glad now with the technologies and everything, you can watch as many matches of her as you want. I know that I'll be prepared for her game.

Q. Petra Kvitova is playing her last Wimbledon, and she's going to retire at the US Open. What comes to your mind when someone says her name? What stands out to you the most?

ARYNA SABALENKA: She's such a fighter. I had a lot of tough battles. She's super nice.

Yeah, I remember, like, my first year on tour, and we played actually a lot of matches together. I was struggling a lot against her. There was a lot of great battles. She always been nice to me. She's just a nice person.

It's crazy to see that she's retiring, because I remember playing her when I just started. It's crazy. I'm kind of, like, sad. I was thinking when I saw the news, C'mon, give it a try. Why? Why would you retire? Keep going.

(Novak Djokovic enters.)

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Come on. Let's go, please. I've been waiting for you.

ARYNA SABALENKA: See you guys (laughter).

Come on in here. We can talk, chat. They were asking about what we been chatting after the hit.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: So what is the question?

ARYNA SABALENKA: They asked what we've been chatting after our one-hour hit. First of all, let me ask a question. What do you think about hitting with me? How do you see my level? Am I good?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I think you have the potential. You're, like, really talented player. You have nice strokes, good technique.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Thank you (laughter).

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Can I be honest?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You're lacking intensity on the court. You don't have enough intensity.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Really? That's what you are going to say right not?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's too flat. You've got to lighten up a little bit, put some power in it.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Before this guy was my favorite player, but not anymore obviously (laughter).

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: How would you introduce me on the court, please?

ARYNA SABALENKA: The best player of the world (laughter).

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Thank you. That's a nice way to start a press conference.