Aryna Sabalenka has finally overcome her fear of losing on clay after grabbing her first clay title at Madrid this year.
In the past, the Belarusian has taken part twice in the WTA 1000 circuit but failed to make a mark. Further, she never won a single title on a clay court, all her previous nine titles were from hard courts.
However, things changed this year for the 23-year-old, as she not only reached a finale of a tournament on clay but also won there. Now, Aryna Sabalenka is more confident of playing on the court and claims to do even better on clay from now on.
Aryna Sabalenka wins against Ashleigh Barty in the Mutua Madrid Open at La Caja Magica on May 08, 2021. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
After her victory at Madrid, Sabalenka shared, “I’m not really scared of this surface anymore.”
The Belarusian deserved the victory in Madrid, as she showcased some phenomenal performance at the 1000 circuit. Sabalenka faced the current WTA Rank 1, Ashleigh Barty, in the finals of the Madrid Open.
Aryna Sabalenka interacts with Ashleigh Barty after the final match of the Mutua Madrid Open at La Caja Magica on May 08, 2021. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Aryna pressurized the top seed, Barty since the first set, and she never let the Australian make a comeback. However, World No.1 made a strong comeback in the next set and even won the set. But Ashleigh couldn’t keep her form in the last set. As Sabalenka again pushed the Aussie to the edge of the cliff in the last set. As a result, the Belarusian ended up winning the final with a score of 6-0, 3-6, 6-4.
Aryna Sabalenka currently ranks seventh on the WTA Rankings and by next week she will reach fourth place. However, Sabalenka isn’t satisfied with this achievement as she is aiming to take down Ashleigh Barty for the Rank 1 throne.
