Aryna Sabalenka Opens Up About Mental Health, Therapy, and Coping with Tragedy in TIME Magazine Feature

Aryna Sabalenka has opened up about a grueling five-year therapeutic journey to overcome severe mental hurdles, stating in recent international media profiles that remaining silent internally had nearly destroyed her well-being. The world No. 1 tennis star detailed how professional guidance helped her process intense pressure, navigate profound personal loss, and handle on-court emotional blowups that once derailed her matches.

Therapy and the Cost of Silence in Professional Tennis

For years, the Belarusian powerhouse carried staggering expectations while absorbing private trauma on the Women’s Tennis Association tour. According to recent features published by outlets including La Nación and Infobae, Sabalenka explained that keeping her struggles bottled up took a severe psychological toll. “Callarse te destruye; hablar en terapia durante cinco años me ayudó a entenderme, resolver lo que me pasaba y seguir adelante,” Sabalenka stated, highlighting how half a decade of consistent mental health work transformed her approach to elite competition.

Sabalenka acknowledged that hitting tennis balls repetitively served as a temporary shield against her own internal monologue. “Solo intentaba centrarme en entrenar para pasar menos tiempo sola con mis pensamientos,” she noted in interviews covered by La Nación, describing a period when grueling training sessions functioned as a coping mechanism to outrun grief and anxiety.

Global Visibility and High-Profile Ambitions

The candid revelations coincide with widespread mainstream media attention, including a prominent cover appearance in Time magazine that showcased her status as a global sports icon. Beyond her mental health advocacy, Sabalenka made headlines by discussing potential exhibition formats inspired by historic tennis milestones. As reported by Punto de Break and ESPN Argentina, she expressed openness to revisiting the famous “Battle of the Sexes” concept under specific conditions, sparking fresh conversations about cross-gender tennis showcases.

What Comes Next on the Tour

Sabalenka maintains her preparations for the upcoming WTA tournament swing, balancing her demanding practice schedule with the mental strategies developed over her five years in therapy.