Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek© Getty Images Sport – Dan Istitene
“I know a lot of players complain and would prefer one-week tournaments, but I like having a day off between matches because it allows you to enjoy other things besides tennis and relax mentally.”
The extension of the WTA 1000 tournaments – from one to two weeks – has fueled further debates, with the men’s and women’s circuits divided between those in favor and those against. Madrid and Rome runner-up Aryna Sabalenka also expressed her opinion on the topic, saying she was satisfied with this new format of the WTA 1000. The Belarusian tennis player, fresh from two finals lost against Iga Swiatek in as many tournaments on European clay courts, therefore expressed her preference for the new WTA 1000 formula.
“The two-week tournaments help me to be more mentally balanced and not end up exhausted every week of competition, like I used to,” she explained.
Aryna Sabalenka© Getty Images Sport – Mike Hewitt
At the press conference after the defeat in Rome, Sabalenka also talked about the upcoming Roland Garros.
“I’m super excited, I love Paris and I love Roland Garros. Last year I did well and I’m excited. Even though I lost these two finals, I never focus on the past. It doesn’t matter how many times I lose to a player, I still know that I will be ready to fight thinking of myself. I’m going to Paris with the belief that I can do well. Maybe I’m not the favorite, but at the same time I believe I can win. I hope to reach the final and win against anyone, whether we are talking about Iga or another tennis player. Today wasn’t the final I really expected. I didn’t play to the best of my ability. In any case, thoughts remain positive after these two weeks. I’m proud to have managed to fight until the final.
Even though it didn’t go the way I wanted, I’m still happy with the result achieved in Rome. I didn’t feel comfortable in the first set and I just tried to stay aggressive. If I had taken advantage of my opportunities in the second set, the match could have found another epilogue. I’ll try to do better next time. When you have some problems and try to recover during the tournament, the injury stays in your mind. But I wouldn’t say I lost today because of my back. I think I’ve done pretty well here in Rome considering a lot has happened,” she analyzed.
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