World number one Aryna Sabalenka says she is “fresh and ready” to win her third straight Australian Open title, warning there is 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 started by defending her Australian Open crown by defeating Chinese powerhouse Zheng Qinwen in the final. If she wins again, she will become the first woman to win three consecutive singles titles at Melbourne Park since Martina Hingis from 1997 to 1999.
“I feel fresh and ready to go,” the Belarusian said after arriving for the Brisbane International, which starts on Sunday ahead of the Australian Open from January 12, according to the WTA website Thursday. Ta.
“I love Australia, I always come here hungry and I always come here prepared.
“I feel all the support here and I think that’s the best thing about Australia is that people are really, really passionate about tennis.”
Sabalenka started 2024 again in Brisbane and reached the final without losing a set, but was crushed by Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina in the final.
She is spending the off-season at home in Florida before heading to the Middle East to prepare for Australia, and will use the Brisbane tournament to fine-tune her Grand Slam preparations.
“You work hard on a lot of things during the preseason,” she said.
“The first tournament before a major tournament is the tournament where you can try it out and see what works and what doesn’t.”
Sabalenka said that despite moving up the ranks to become a winning player heading into 2025, there are still areas of her game that need work.
“Oh, there are so many things to improve on,” she said.
“I mean, I’m not very good at my singles game at the net, and I have a lot of things to improve in my touch game.
“There are a lot of things. My serve isn’t as good as I expected, so there’s always something to improve.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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