Aryna Sabalenka relieved to clinch maiden Grand Slam with Australia Open victory - 'It's been really tough to get'
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ByEurosport
Published 28/01/2023 at 13:02 GMT
Aryna Sabalenka is finally a Grand Slam winner after she defeated Elena Rybakina in a thrilling battle in the final of the Australian Open. And the 24-year-old admits 'relief' is the overridding emotion as she got her hands on the trophy. Sabalenka lost the opening set but changed her tactics and managed her nerves to get over the line. "I’m just proud of myself, of my team," she said.
'I'm not on this planet right now' - Sabalenka left stunned after first Grand Slam triumph
Aryna Sabalenka’s overriding emotion following her 2023 Australian Open win over Elena Rybakina is one of relief.
Sabalenka defeated Rybakina 4-6 6-3 6-4 in a thrilling contest on Rod Laver Arena to clinch her first career Grand Slam title in singles.
The world No. 5 responded to her error-strewn opening set by producing her finest tennis - striking 51 winners and landing 17 aces in total - to win the showdown between two of the biggest hitters on the WTA Tour.
It was a nervy conclusion to the match, as she required four attempts on championship point to finally seal the deal.
Speaking exclusively to Eurosport's Barbara Schett, an overjoyed Sabalenka said: “It’s everything in one moment. It’s kind of relief because I’ve been in the top 10 - one of the top 10 players - but I didn’t have a Grand Slam trophy yet.
"That’s been really tough to get, super emotional, every Slam was super emotional, and right now, when I finally get it, it’s relief - it’s joy. I’m just proud of myself, of my team and everyone, you know.”
Asked how she will celebrate her victory, Sabalenka joked: “I don’t know, I don’t know! Probably eating everything that I couldn’t this week!”
The trophy will sit in pride of place at her home, and she added, excitedly: “I think my Mum and my Grandma [are] fighting right now for this trophy!“
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Sabalenka shared a hug with her team immediately after victory, a special moment for the 24-year-old, who couldn’t hide her emotion.
“To be honest, I was a little bit swearing - it’s crazy,” she said.
"These guys are like my family, you know. We’ve been through really tough times and they’ve been there for me, they supported me in the most tough moments.
“I felt like responsibility in front of them, you know, for this trophy. I felt like these guys deserve it and I was just crying because of everything.”
It was an ominous start for Sabalenka at Melbourne Park as she was second-best to Rybakina, the current Wimbledon champion.
Sabalenka couldn’t cope with her opponent on serve and this was compounded by a series of individual mistakes. She admitted a change of tactics was required to stay alive in the match.
“First set, I was a little bit nervous, and she was playing unbelievable tennis," she said. "I would say that tactically, I didn’t play my best and I didn’t play right.
“In the second set, I had to try something else, and yeah, I changed it a little bit - tried to push her a little bit more on her forehand and make her move, put her under pressure on her serve. That worked brilliantly.”
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Australian Open highlights: Sabalenka roars back to beat Rybakina and claim maiden Grand Slam title
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