Aryna Sabalenka slams ‘brutal’ youth coaches, who previously told her ‘You’ll never make it’
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Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka plays a backhand return to Serbia's Olga Danilovic during their French Open clash.
PHOTO: AFP
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PARIS – World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka may be a three-time Grand Slam winner, but the Belarusian has revealed how she had been berated and told she would not succeed by coaches as a youngster.
On May 30, top-seeded Sabalenka eased into the French Open last 16 with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Serbia’s Olga Danilovic on Court Philippe-Chatrier. And the 27-year-old Miami-based player spoke afterwards of the cultural difference of the coaching system in Eastern Europe.
“I’ve always been quite motivated and they didn’t have to push me. But I have heard a lot saying I’m not smart enough, that I’m stupid, and I’ll never make it, and I don’t have anything to make it to the top,” Sabalenka said.
“I guess I want to send a quick message to them to quit their job, because honestly, I think they know nothing and they better quit just to save other players.”
The Minsk native won back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2023 and 2024, and the US Open last season.
She brushed aside 34th-ranked Danilovic in 79 minutes and next plays 16th seed American Amanda Anisimova on June 1 for a place in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.
The Belarusian also said she felt lucky with her current coaching team.
“Off court, it is important to surround yourself with the right people and have fun with your crew and that’s what I’m doing. I am really grateful to have all of them on my team, we are like family,” she said.
In contrast, Madrid Open winner Sabalenka has spoken this week about “the environment and in the history of European countries, we are much tougher”.
“I definitely think that the environment we have in our countries, which is like very tough and coaches are very brutal, there is nothing nice about the way they work with their players, they (are) quite rude,” she said.
“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. I think in Europe and the (United) States, the environment is much healthier.”
In Paris, Sabalenka refuses to consider herself a favourite in a tournament where she has never advanced past the semi-finals.
“Let’s just leave it (the pressure) on Iga (Swiatek, four-time Roland Garros champion) since she won it, what, three times in a row, really, right? Let’s just... I will just leave it for her,” she added.
Anisimova, who got past 22nd-seeded Dane Clara Tauson 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 in the third round, leads Sabalenka 5-2 in previous meetings.
The 23-year-old American is competing in her seventh French Open, having an impressive run to the semi-finals six years ago. She beat Sabalenka in straight sets in the second round in 2019.
“When I first got here, I was getting some flashbacks and good memories. Obviously, (she’s) one of the best right now. She’s No. 1. I really enjoy the fight and the challenge that she brings on,” said Anisimova. AFP
