Aryna Sabalenka opens up on ‘the worst feeling’ as pressure mounts at Madrid Open | Tennis | Sport

Aryna Sabalenka is starting her clay swing at the Madrid Open, and there’s a lot on the line. The world No. 1 has not lost since the end of January, and is on a 12-match winning streak after lifting trophies in Indian Wells and Miami. And she’s on an unbeaten run at the Caja Magica after being crowned the champion last year.

And there’s a good reason the Madrid Open champion has been doing that – she simply hates losing. Sabalenka’s last defeat came at the hands of Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final right at the beginning of the season. But that doesn’t mean she’s forgotten what it’s like to lose.

“You never forget the feeling of losing, to be honest. I hate that feeling. I’m not sleeping. I just hate it. This is the worst, you know?” the world No. 1 said ahead of her title defence in Madrid. “So, I never forget it, and that’s why I always try to go out there and to bring my best tennis because I don’t want to deal with that losing situation.

“But it’s sport, and anything can happen. It’s like, you have to expect the best, but be ready for the worst. So that’s my mentality, and I’m just trying to go out there and do my very best each time, and I think winning drives me more.”

Sabalenka is starting her clay season later than usual after skipping the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. She’s played a limited schedule this year – just four events, winning three of them – but it’s clearly working.

The 27-year-old added: “It was really sad for me to skip Stuttgart. I would definitely try to come back in Stuttgart next season. But yeah, the ideal plan is to maybe open up the schedule a little bit more to stay healthier, to be more ready to show my best tennis in each tournament I play.

“But yeah, this season, my body [has] been a little bit on and off, and I had to take some time off to recover, to do the right thing for my body, and that’s why this year looks a little bit less tournaments, and hopefully I will show up with my best tennis each time I’m competing.”

The reigning Madrid Open champion has been enjoying herself off the court of late. Last month, she got engaged and got a new puppy before completing the Sunshine Double. And she explained how important it was to switch off from tennis.

“Mental health is really important, and I’ve been working with psychologists, I’ve been doing everything to stay mentally healthy. What I figured out throughout the years, I think it’s really important to, first of all, surround yourself with the people you feel comfortable with, you feel protected, and you just feel free to say whatever, to ask whatever, and to be free to chat with,” she explained.

“And also, it’s important, outside of tennis life, it’s important to do stuff that brings you joy outside of this tennis world, sport world overall, because it’s a lot of pressure, a lot of expectations, a lot of things to deal with, to go through. And if you don’t have anything else outside of tennis, it’s really tough to stay in that pressure all the time. So I think it’s important to, I don’t know, go for dinner, spend time with your friends, go shopping, just do something that is not related to sports. So your mind stays clear at least for half of your day.”