Aryna Sabalenka has made a strong return to the WTA Tour, reaching the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International with little trouble.
It’s been a good warm-up for the Belarusian ahead of the Australian Open, where she’ll be aiming to reclaim her title after falling short in last year’s final.
Ironically, she’ll be facing Madison Keys next — the same player who beat her at Melbourne Park last season.
But before looking ahead to that match, Sabalenka took a critical look back at her straight-sets win over Sorana Cîrstea. Even though she won 6-1, 7-5, it was clear that Cîrstea posed more of a threat in the second set.
Aryna Sabalenka shares thoughts on her win in Brisbane
“No, no, at the beginning I struggled a little bit with the rhythm, and I was just trying to find the rhythm and the focus, like, the right focus. And that’s it. Yeah, I think after a couple of games, I found my game a little better and the level was increasing every game I would play, so it wasn’t really frustration or something else. I was just trying to figure my game,” she explained.
She also addressed what it takes to fight through tough moments: “Yeah, for sure. Of course I prefer to win every match 6-Love, 6-Love, like everyone [would] probably prefer, but at the end of the day you only get better when someone pushes you and you have to deal with moments under pressure.
“Today I practised that well in a few moments. Definitely better for my tennis to have matches where you have to overcome things.”
Sabalenka then spoke about why she enjoys playing in Australia: “I think there is always room to improve, and I’m definitely not at my peak. Honestly talking, there was only one Australia [tournament] where I played really incredible tennis and was on my highest level.
“The rest of them were different things that wouldn’t work on court at some point.”
Aryna Sabalenka set to enter the Australian Open as clear favourite
Heading into the 2025 Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka remains the overwhelming favourite on hard courts. Even though she fell short in last year’s final against Madison Keys, her form hasn’t dipped since.
Following that loss, she went on to retain her US Open title and continued to look strong throughout the season. Now, with Melbourne around the corner, Sabalenka is once again expected to set the pace.
Sabalenka’s physicality and consistency have always suited her well in Australia. While there are plenty of dangerous players in the field – including Naomi Osaka and defending champion Keys – few can match Sabalenka’s recent track record on hard courts.
Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek will have extra motivation this year, as a win would complete her career Grand Slam.
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