Connect with us

CELEBRITIES

Aryna Sabalenka was ‘really glad’ she lost match after Coco Gauff handed her reality check

Published

on

 

Aryna Sabalenka believes her defeat to Coco Gauff at last year’s US Open has helped to improve the mental aspect of her game. The 26-year-old recently secured her fourth WTA title of the year at the Wuhan Open, beating home favourite Qinwen Zheng in the final.

 

 

The capacity crowd threw their support behind Zheng but were eventually silenced, with Sabalenka pulling through in three sets. She fought hard after being pegged back by her rival in the second set to claim an impressive 6-3 5-7 6-3 victory.

After the match, Sabalenka explained that her defeat to Gauff in the final of last year’s US Open was a blessing in disguise. She was overawed by the crowd supporting Gauff on that occasion but did not make the same mistake against Zheng in Wuhan.

“I’m not really focusing on the crowd when they’re against me anymore,” said Sabalenka. “I’m just focusing on myself and my team. I’m trying to stay focused and keep thinking what I have to do on court.

Like, just thinking about tactics and technical issues. I don’t really hear them. I think that match against Coco last year gave me a lot. I’m actually really glad I lost that match because I think it was better for me.

“I learned a lot. Right now, if the crowd is against me, I’m okay with that. I don’t really hear them. I’m focusing on different things.”

Sabalenka’s victory over Zheng marked her third successive triumph at the Wuhan Open and saw her close in on Iga Swiatek at the top of the world rankings. She will be hoping to finish the year strongly by claiming more silverware at the year-end WTA Finals.

That’s a really tight ranking right now, really nice to see,” she added. “I always say of course it’s one of the goals, but I prefer to focus on myself and just keep working hard. We’ll see after the Finals if I was good enough this season.”

Reflecting on her hard-fought win over Zheng, Sabalenka said: “It was a tough match. I was up with a break in the second set, then I just lost my focus for a little bit and it became a three-set match.

“But it was a great level match, it was a great fight. Of course, I’m super happy to win this beautiful trophy.”

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NFL14 hours ago

Donna Kelce drops massive Travis and Taylor Swift baby hint on social media

NEWS18 hours ago

THIS JUST HAPPENED: Karoline Leavitt KICKED OFF Jimmy Kimmel Live! After EXPLPOSING Shocking Secrets That Could DESTROY Jimmy Kimmelโ€™s Career! In an unbelievable live TV moment, Karoline Leavitt was abruptly kicked off Jimmy Kimmel Live! after dropping explosive secrets that could ruin Kimmelโ€™s career. What began as a typical interview quickly turned into pure chaos when Leavitt, unflinching and fearless, exposed hidden truths that caught everyone off guard. The tension in theโ€ฆ Detail ๐Ÿ‘‡

ROYAL FAMILY19 hours ago

“We are deeply saddened to announce…” King Charles choked up with tears as he announced that another royal family member has been diagnosed with the same illness as him. Upon hearing the news, the British people surprisingly “applauded” because… See more below ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡

ROYAL FAMILY1 day ago

5 MINS AGO! Princess Kate Makes HUGE Announcement! She FINALLY Revealed Her Kind Of Cancer. The entire nation of England erupted in joyous applause… See more below ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡

ROYAL FAMILY2 days ago

Royal Tragedy! William breaks down in tears as he announces that his brother Harry has been urgently hospitalized in the US and has been diagnosed with the royal family’s genetic condition, which is…” See more below ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡

ROYAL FAMILY2 days ago

SAD! Prince George and his two younger siblings share a “sad message” about their mother, Kate Middleton: “I thought mom had recovered, but the doctor just informed us that she has…” See more below ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡

NFL2 days ago

Travis Kelce reveals the reason why he chose not to retire following the Chiefs’ Super Bowl heartbreak

NEWS2 days ago

Jennifer Lopezโ€™s Engagement Is Officialโ€”But Who Is the Lucky Man? JLoโ€™s Engagement Is Officialโ€”Wait Until You See Who Sheโ€™s Tied the Knot With!โ€

NEWS3 days ago

BELIEVE IT: Elon Musk suddenly wants to adopt one of Patrick Mahomes’ children and will raise the child with special privileges that no… ๐“•๐“พ๐“ต๐“ต ๐“ข๐“ฝ๐“ธ๐“ป๐”‚ ๐‚สœแด‡cฦ™ ๐Ÿ‘‡

ROYAL FAMILY3 days ago

“Pope Francis’ last words before his passing will make you cry โ€” the whole world was in tears: ‘I am deeply sorry for…'” See more below ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡

ROYAL FAMILY3 days ago

Breaking News: William Publicly Reveals Evidence of Diana’s Accident That Broke the Heart of the Entire Nation: “The Police Found Diana’s Pearl Under the Pillow of…” See more below ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡

ROYAL FAMILY4 days ago

Pray for Kate! William bowed his head and revealed the name of the ‘type of cancer’ Kate is suffering from: ‘I apologize for keeping this secret, it is…'” See more below ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡

Copyright ยฉ 2024 UKtalkin