Aryna Sabalenka craving success in Dubai on heels of Melbourne triumph

DUBAI – Aryna Sabalenka said it is in her nature to keep striving for success and that she has become addicted to that winning feeling as the Australian Open champion returns to action at the Dubai Championships this week.

The Belarusian won her second Grand Slam title with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over China’s Zheng Qinwen in January, becoming the first woman in 11 years to retain the Melbourne Park crown. And the 25-year-old said there is no chance she will rest on her laurels as she seeks to add to her 14 WTA Tour titles.

“My mindset is to keep doing what I’m doing, keep fighting, keep working. After my career, to look back and think, ‘whoa, I was able to achieve that. That’s crazy’,” said Sabalenka, who begins her Dubai campaign on Feb 20 against Donna Vekic of Croatia.

“I’m not the type of person that’s going to win something and stop. I’m addicted to wins. I feel like it’s just something in my blood and I keep doing, keep working and hopefully keep winning.”

Among the most consistent players on the WTA Tour, Sabalenka has reached at least the semi-finals of the previous six Grand Slams and she said the decision to drop her psychologist in 2022 has been a key factor in her progress.

“I feel like no one knows yourself better than you,” she said.

“That was the best decision to start. It’s tough to say because it’s been long process.

“In the end, the only thing helping me is just myself, just stop expecting people to fix my problems, start fixing my problems myself. I think that brought much more confidence and much more control.”

Meanwhile, top seed Iga Swiatek has touched down in Dubai, a day after pulling off an impressive three-peat in Doha. The Polish four-time Major champion is the first player to win the same WTA event three times in a row since Serena Williams reigned supreme in Miami from 2013 to 2015.

“It’s crazy. Honestly, when I came to Doha, I was thinking a little bit about that,” said the 22-year-old on her rare hat-trick.

“It got my expectations little bit higher and the pressure little bit higher. I’m happy that during the time I played, I could focus on the right things and really get the work done. After it happened, it was just surreal and amazing.”

On the men’s tour, Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner powered to his first Rotterdam Open title on Feb 18, breaking down a determined defensive effort from Australia’s Alex de Minaur to win 7-5, 6-4 in a high-quality battle.

The win extended the Italian top seed’s unbeaten streak to 15 matches – including his run to glory in Melbourne.

“Every time you win a title, it doesn’t matter how big, it means a lot,” the 22-year-old said. “I had a bit more attention (as Australian Open champion), but when you earn something, you have to deal with that.”

In Buenos Aires, Argentinian wild card Facundo Diaz Acosta captured his maiden ATP title on Feb 18 by defeating Nicolas Jarry, the man who had stunned world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals.

The world No. 87 claimed a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the Chilean, sealing the triumph on a sixth match point. REUTERS, AFP