“It feels so great (to win the title) and I couldn’t really wait for the title for the first time in Doha … it feels so special to me,” the Belarusian smiled when she received her trophy in March raised.
She had just defeated Petra Kvitova in straight sets and secured her first title at the Qatar Total Open. Sabalenka didn’t even plan to play in Doha and decided to give herself a chance as she had never been there before.
It was shortly after that when the World Health Crisis closed all tournaments for almost seven months. The Belarusian had trained and wondered if she would be ready when the next tournament opened as the coronavirus spread around the world.
Would there be a Grand Slam this year, asked all the players? The organizers decided on the Cincinnati Masters and then the US Open at New York’s National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.
Can I be prepared for each other physically and mentally? The players were all amazed. Events in New York showed she was rusting a bit after only making it to the round of 16, which Jessica Pegula defeated at the Cincinnati Masters.
The eagerly awaited match between the two Belarusians Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka took place in the second round of the US Open. But it was Sabalenka to fall in straight sentences, with Azarenka having good strategies.
“I knew how dangerous she was and I feel like a better player this year. So I’ve changed a few things …” commented Azarenka. But Sabalenka was out of her comfort zone and her rhythm got nervous when she felt like she couldn’t get her groove back after months of no competition.
She lost in a tough semi-final to Elina Svitolina in Strasbourg and waited for her double participation to come to fruition. She and her partner Elise Mertens lost in the opening round at Roland Garros and until the Ostrava Open in the Czech Republic things continued to look unfocused.
It was her match against Victoria Azarenka that proved Sabalenka hadn’t lost her magical touch. She won the title in the straight sets 6-2, 6-2 after dusting off 16-year-old Cori Gauff and fierce Jennifer Brady.
Despite the win, it was clear that Azarenka was not feeling well after a few medical downtime, but Sabalenka said kindly, “I hope you feel better soon.” It was her 7th career title and she was delighted with her success after struggling with the factors of the pandemic.
Sabalenka didn’t stop there and achieved a double victory with partner Elise Mertens … “I’m just super satisfied with the results, both in singles and doubles,” said the younger Belarusian and grinned broadly.
She had revealed a clue about the secrets of her success and said, “I have to learn to stay focused … I have to deal with my emotions … and stay very strong emotionally from the start of the game.
“The exhausting and difficult season came to an end when Aryna traveled to Austria to take part in the Linz Open. This time she would skip doubles and concentrate on singles. But her doubles partner had other ideas and also appeared in singles.
Sabalenka would have broken almost no sentence during the entire tournament when she landed in the final with her tennis colleague Elise Mertens, who knows Sabalenka’s strengths as well as weaknesses in strategies and techniques.
Sabalenka showed a great level to beat Mertens 7: 5, 6: 2
It was Sabalenka and Simona Halep who were the only WTA players to win three titles in this shortened season. Sabalenka worked hard with successful results and had told the WTA media: “I don’t want to say anything and just keep my fingers crossed for more profits to come to me …”
This is the perfect end to my season so that I can be happy and relaxed … “She had her opponents out in a short amount of time and hopes that she can play next season without the pandemic and stress, more wins and maybe also bring titles.
