Tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, a native of Belarus, is hailed as the sport’s up-and-coming star.
Sabalenka gained little attention on the junior circuit but has gained momentum on the WTA tour. By capturing the Wuhan championship in 2018, she made it clear that she intended to compete in the major competitions, and her subsequent performances have delivered on that promise.
Best finish at each of the four Grand Slams:
Australian Open: 1st Round (2018)
French Open: 1st Round (2018)
Wimbledon: 2nd Round (2017)
US Open: 4th Round (2018)
Highest Ranking: No. 11
One of the women’s tour’s toughest hitters, Sabalenka plays only in an all-out assault style.
She always hits them flat and deep, taking enormous cuts on both her forehand and backhand. Additionally, she has a quick and flat serve that she employs to set up her strong groundstrokes.
The Belarussian rarely uses slices or drop shots from the baseline, and he rarely comes to the net. She plays a pretty one-dimensional game in which she dominates opponents with her tremendous strength.
One of the top serves in the world, Sabalenka’s is swift and surprising. She has developed the habit of serving heavily on break points and other crucial situations, demonstrating another one of her strengths: the ability to perform effectively under pressure.
The Belarussian can strike winners from just about anywhere on the court and has powerful groundstrokes off both wings. She never pauses as she positions herself on the baseline and always strives for rapid end points, which she frequently achieves.
Sabalenka can strike clean return winners against all types of servers and has a great return as well. She has a huge advantage in that she can pick and choose where to land her groundstrokes and returns.
Being a tall player limits Sabalenka’s mobility on the court.
Personal life
Sabalenka was raised in a sporting household and was born in Minsk, Belarus. Ice hockey player Sergey Sabalenka was her father.
Tennis was introduced to Sabalenka by accident. When she was six years old, she and her father were passing a tennis court when she decided to try playing there. Sabalenka fell in love with tennis at first swing, and she hasn’t looked back since.
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova served as Sabalenka’s childhood role models, so it’s hardly surprising that their games are so close to her own.
Because she was encouraged by the Belarussian Tennis Federation to concentrate on ITF competitions rather than junior tennis, the Belarussian didn’t play much on the junior circuit. Sabalenka so never participated in a junior Grand Slam.
Her first significant success came in the 2017 Fed Cup, where she defeated Sloane Stephens and Viktorija Golubic en route to helping Belarus win the match. She continued to improve after that, making it to the Tianjin final in late 2017 before making her mark on the world stage with her victory in Wuhan in 2018.
Social media presence:
Aryna Sabalenka Instagram: @sabalenka_aryna
Aryna Sabalenka Twitter: @SabalenkaA
