CHINA OPEN

October 2, 2026

Aryna Sabalenka

Mixed Zone

A. SABALENKA/R. Zarazua

6-1, 6-3

Q. Your thoughts on the first match back in Beijing.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, I'm definitely happy with the level I played. Not much to complain about. Happy with the focus. Happy basically with the performance. So happy to be through.

Q. What are your thoughts on the conditions today?

ARYNA SABALENKA: It was a bit chilly. I actually, I don't know, enjoyed playing. Maybe the balls were getting a bit too heavy. It was a bit too heavy on the body. But overall I'm okay (smiling).

Q. What is the hardest part about being a tennis professional for you? Sometimes when things don't go well, you seem very hard and critical of yourself on court.

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think this is a good and a bad side of my personality, that I always ask myself and wait for more from myself. Sometimes, yeah, it can drives me forward, but sometimes it can really, I don't know, drain my energy, overall my energy.

Maybe this is something I have to finally learn. Might be able to learn it when I turn 30 or something. I'm really trying so hard sometimes to be easier on myself.

Q. Talking about the calendar, all the Grand Slams are done. Does it feel when you're on court that you don't have the stress of building up to a Grand Slam? You have Finals coming up.

ARYNA SABALENKA: You mean the end of the season?

Q. Yes. In comparison to playing right before Wimbledon or Roland Garros.

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think overall, like, before Wimbledon, French or Australia or US Open, we are a bit fresher. It all depends how you play on the Grand Slams. This year half of the season I wasn't performing well. I was struggling with several things.

I feel like this year I feel a bit fresher and kind of, like, I expect a bit more from myself. I'm trying to also do not put so much expectations and try to focus on myself.

But overall, yeah, if the season goes well, by the end of the season you feel a little bit like I don't have energy and power to keep pushing, especially ahead of Finals. You're staying a bit maybe softer on yourself.

This season is a different story, so I feel fresh and ready to go.

Q. There are so many Chinese fans of you in the China Open. Do you want to say something to them?

ARYNA SABALENKA: My Chinese fans?

Q. Yes.

ARYNA SABALENKA: To be honest I'm so shocked to see almost full crowd today, to see a lot of kids cheering for me, bringing all the posters, being creative with the gifts, be supportive of me. I'm super grateful for that.

Just want to send them love and send them thank you so much.

Q. WTA just announced equal pay across all 1000 level events starting next season. Just wanted to get your thoughts on that. How much does that mean to the players?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Equal between... Of course, I'm happy with that. This is something we've been pushing over. I feel like we all deserve to be paid equally. This is a good news.

I'm pretty sure about all of the players - I don't know about men - but all of the women are super happy with that (smiling).

Q. Any thoughts on the Grand Slam players council and what they have done?

ARYNA SABALENKA: It's amazing. This is something that probably we all needed for so long. Now we have our council. We have our opinion to throw to, I don't know, transfer the opinion of the players. This is something amazing. This is something definitely, like, to improve everything in the future.