by sportswriters Yue Wenwan, Wu Zhi and Jiao Ziqi
WUHAN, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- After a four-year hiatus, the Wuhan Open, the final WTA 1000 tournament of the year, returns, to run from Monday to Sunday.
On the eve of the tournament's opening ceremony, Belarusian tennis ace Aryna Sabalenka reflected on her impressive 2024 season and expressed her ambition to win a third consecutive title in Wuhan. In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, she also discussed her encounters with China's top player Zheng Qinwen.
"It's nice to hear that I'm the mountain Zheng is yet to overcome. I will continue working to make sure she cannot overcome this mountain," Sabalenka said.
A SEASON WITH NO REGRETS
With the cheers from the stands shifting from English to Chinese, Sabalenka recognized that the 2024 tour was nearing its end, heralded by the Asian swing.
"I think it was a really brilliant season, super successful. I just cannot complain," Sabalenka said, reflecting on a season where she has captured two Grand Slam titles. "It was an amazing achievement, and I'm super proud of myself and my team that we were able to achieve so much this year, no matter the struggles we faced and some tough moments."
Despite her successful season, the Belarusian remains humble and eager to improve. Rating her performance a seven out of 10, she said, "I always leave this little gap for improvement."
One of her biggest triumphs occurred at this year's US Open, where she stormed to her first title in New York. During that journey, she set an astonishing record - her topspin forehand speed averaged 80 miles per hour, surpassing that of male players like Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
"That forehand stats were insane. I didn't expect that number," Sabalenka laughed. "But definitely forehand is the weapon. I've been working so hard to improve every set of my games, so I'm really happy to see these numbers. And I'll just continue improving and hopefully in the future there is going to be many more stats like this."
After a 15-match winning streak starting in August at the Cincinnati Masters, Sabalenka's run ended with a surprise defeat by Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in the China Open quarterfinals.
"I lost that match against Muchova, but still I feel like it was really high level match. She just played a little bit better at the end," Sabalenka noted. "And you actually have to learn some lessons to get better and to win more titles. So the lesson is learned, and next time I'll do better."
HAPPY TO BE ZHENG'S "MOUNTAIN"
Known for her powerful and aggressive playing style, Sabalenka has garnered admiration from fans worldwide, including many in China, where she is affectionately called "Tiger Girl" due to her birth in the Year of the Tiger.
During her Beijing matches, she received numerous tiger-themed gifts from Chinese fans, including hats, hairpins and dolls.
"I love the nickname and I love tigers," said Sabalenka, rolling up her sleeve to show a tiger tattoo on her arm. "It's a reminder that I have to fight for my dreams. The tiger is a fighter and a hunter, and the animal who is always there."
Sabalenka's dominant victories over Zheng Qinwen made her well known in China, including straight-set wins at the Australian Open final and the US Open semifinals.
"The score might look easy, but I wouldn't say the matches were easy," Sabalenka commented on her wins over Zheng. "She's an amazing player who puts a lot of pressure on her opponents, and it's always challenging to face her. She's a top ten player, and it's never easy to play against someone at that level."
"Zheng has improved a lot since we first played," the Belarusian added. "It's nice to see her grow, and it motivates me to keep improving as well. Even when players are getting better, I have to keep working to make sure I'm still able to win them."
Sabalenka's dominance over Zheng also earned her another nickname: "the mountain that Zheng is yet to overcome." Asked about this, Sabalenka couldn't help but smile. "It's nice to hear that, and it just means I'm on the right path. I'll keep working hard to make sure she can't overcome this mountain."
EAGER TO WIN AGAIN IN WUHAN
Returning to Wuhan for the first time in four years, Sabalenka is filled with excitement and nostalgia. The Wuhan Open is more than just a tournament to her - it was where she won her first WTA Premier Five title in 2018 and again in 2019, which helped propel her career to new heights.
In 2024, Sabalenka hopes to reclaim the trophy for a third time. "I'm super excited to be back. I have a lot of great memories from Wuhan, and I really hope that this year I can win this beautiful trophy one more time," she said.
Although she arrived in Wuhan only the night before the interview, she expressed familiarity. "I haven't had much time to explore the city and the facilities, but everything feels like home here. I'm just happy to be back," she shared.
With 8,716 points this season, Sabalenka sits second in the world rankings, trailing only Poland's Iga Swiatek, who recently withdrew from the Wuhan Open, leaving the Belarusian a key opportunity to further reduce the point gap.
"I'm trying to focus on myself and improve myself to make sure that I bring my best tennis and that I'm leaving everything I have on court every time I'm playing. And I really hope that by the end of the year, I'll be able to reach this goal [of being the world No. 1]."
Sabalenka has witnessed the growth of Chinese tennis over the years, with players like Zheng excelling and tournaments like the Wuhan Open gaining prominence.
"It's really cool to see how Chinese tennis has improved. More and more players are breaking into the top 100 and reaching the later stages of Grand Slams. It's good for other countries to see the improvements and what China is capable of and just take it as a lesson to improve tennis in their countries. So it's very important for tennis community, basically all around the world," Sabalenka said. ■
