World number one Aryna Sabalenka says she is “fresh and ready to go” in her bid for a third straight Australian Open title, warning she has plenty of room for improvement. The 26-year-old had a sensational 2024, reaching seven finals and winning four titles, including the US Open. Her year began by defending her Australian Open crown, defeating top-ranked Chinese player Zheng Qingwen in the final. If she wins it again, she will become the first woman to win three consecutive singles titles at Melbourne Park since Martina Hingis between 1997 and 1999.
“I feel fresh and ready to go,” the Belarusian said, according to the WTA website on Thursday, after arriving at the Brisbane International, which starts on Sunday ahead of the Australian Open on January 12.
“I love Australia and always come here hungry and always prepared.
“I feel all the support here and I think that’s the best thing about Australia is that people are really, really into tennis.”
Sabalenka also started 2024 in Brisbane by reaching the final without dropping a set before losing to Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina in the decider.
She spent the off-season at home in Florida before heading to the Middle East to prepare for Australia and will use the Brisbane tournament to hone her Grand Slam preparations.
“You work a lot on a lot of things in the preseason,” she said.
“The first tournament before a major tournament is where you can try it out and see what works for you and what doesn’t.”
Even though she has risen through the ranks to become a player to beat in 2025, Sabalenka said there are still parts of her game that need work.
“Oh, there are so many things that need to be improved,” she said.
“I mean, maybe I’m not as good at my game at the net in singles. There are a lot of things that need improvement in my sensory play.
“There are so many things, even my serve is not as good as I would like it to be, so there are always (elements) that can be improved.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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