Kim Clijsters has praised Aryna Sabalenka for refusing the assistance of a psychologist and figuring issues out herself.
The world No. 2 lifted her third Grand Slam trophy over the weekend, turning into the US Open champion for the primary time.
Afterwards, Sabalenka touched on her father’s passing and added: “Yeah, I confronted numerous challenges on and off the court docket.”
Sabalenka has tragically already handled numerous loss at her age. Earlier this yr, her ex-boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov handed away forward of the Miami Open. Her father Sergey additionally died out of the blue in 2019 aged 43.
The 26-year-old has beforehand make clear the dream she and her dad shared for her to place their title within the historical past books by profitable a Grand Slam title and turning into world No. 1. She was capable of obtain each final yr, and has gone on to win two extra Majors in 2024.
Fellow former world No. 1 Clijsters has been impressed by one thing away from the tennis court docket. Pertaining to Sabalenka’s private tragedies, she counseled the Belarusian for figuring issues out mentally.
“I feel what occurred to her father, the scenario in Miami along with her ex-boyfriend, they have an effect in your life,” she mentioned on Andy Roddick’s Served podcast.
“A couple of years in the past she did a press convention, I feel it was on the Australian Open few years in the past, the place she mentioned like, ‘Yeah, I simply began to look, everyone seems to be recommending a psychologist to me and a few instances I went to speak to my psychologist and I realised like, all the pieces you are saying is issues I’ve to deal with myself. I do not want this. I must develop up. I want to determine like, okay, my perspective wants to vary in sure methods.’ And there is not numerous gamers who can try this.”
Clijsters additionally famous the distinction between Sabalenka and a few of her friends, who won’t have made the ultimate push to the highest of the sport. She continued: “Numerous gamers are so cussed they usually’ve gotten to a degree, for those who make high 50 or high 100 in tennis, you’re seen as a high participant. However she needed to make extra out of it.
“And also you realise, ‘Hear, I’m not joyful simply being a high 10 participant or a high 20 participant and I must make a distinction.’ And he or she felt the place her weaknesses have been and I feel that’s an enormous psychological maturity that she’s gained or perspective that she’s constructed is to all the time enhance. And he or she does it in a method that’s so playful and with good power as nicely.”
The work has greater than paid off for Sabalenka, who’s now fulfilling the goals she shared along with her dad. “After I misplaced my father, it is all the time been my objective to place our household title within the historical past of tennis,” she mentioned after profitable the US Open.
“Each time I see my title on that trophy, I am so happy with myself, I am happy with my household that they by no means gave up on my dream and that they have been doing all the pieces they might to maintain me going.”