Coach Anton Dubrov says the times of Aryna Sabalenka not believing she will do effectively on clay are lengthy gone and due to this fact he would not draw any similarities between the Belarusian and the long-lasting remark Maria Sharapova made about enjoying on the slowest tennis floor.
After profitable her first Grand Slam title as a 17-year-old woman at 2004 Wimbledon, the previous Russian tennis star additionally landed her first US Open trophy in 2006. However whereas the now 37-year-old shortly established herself as a famous person and a big-time participant, she simply wasn’t managing to make a breakthrough at Roland Garros in her first couple of appearances.
“I really feel like a cow on ice. Particularly on clay. I do not play on clay for the opposite 10 months of the 12 months. It isn’t as pure for me,” Sharapova mentioned in 2007 following her second-round win at Roland Garros over Jill Craybas.
With regards to Sabalenka, she is a four-time Slam finalist – a three-time winner – has two Australian Open and one US Open trophy in her assortment. Whereas the Belarusian has in all probability been one of the best participant on laborious during the last two years, she has but to make a French Open last.
After not making it previous the third spherical in any of her 5 fundamental draw appearances in Paris, the 26-year-old reached the semifinal final 12 months earlier than exiting on this 12 months’s quarterfinal. Additionally, Sabalenka has 16 titles in her assortment however her first titles on clay have been solely back-to-back victories that got here on the Madrid Open in 2021 and 2023.
Now, a Russian outlet requested her long-time coach if they might relate to Sharapova’s remark.
“I feel this complicated disappeared a very long time in the past. We mentioned it along with her. Now on clay she has a clearer understanding of what and the way to do to win. It takes extra legs, however creates extra pauses. You’re in an everlasting stability: discover the place to make use of a pause, and the place to take your time, because the state of affairs is tough. I see that she has began to maneuver higher on clay. However she will do [even] higher. And subsequent 12 months we’ll give attention to this. Nevertheless, profitable Wimbledon continues to be extra prestigious,” Dubrov instructed Championat.
Can Sabalenka pull of a Sharapova?
The Russian tennis icon’s case is without doubt one of the most fascinating. As talked about above, she turned a really sturdy pressure on sooner courts very early in her profession and he or she did not conceal that she did not like enjoying on clay in any respect.
However when her profession completed, the French Open ended up being her most profitable match – she received the Parisian Slam twice and completed with one victory in every of the opposite three Majors. These two triumphs at Roland Garros got here in 2012 and 2014 and have been her final two Slam wins.
To this point, Sabalenka has managed to win twice the WTA 1000 match in Madrid – which has in all probability the quickest clay on the Tour.
Understanding the three-time Slam champion’s mindset, she all the time goes to the French Open with the one purpose being profitable it. However Iga Swiatek has been completely dominant there, profitable the final three match editions.
Dubrov reveals the large subject that hampered Sabalenka throughout this 12 months’s French Open loss
After the Belarusian and Swiatek met on this 12 months’s Madrid and Rome finals, the expectation was that they might additionally meet within the French Open last. The Pole did make the ultimate however her greatest rival did not after Mirra Andreeva upset the world No. 2 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-4.
Now, coach Dubrov reveals that the 26-year-old suffered from meals poisoning simply earlier than the match and did not really feel effectively in any respect.
“She acquired meals poisoning the day earlier than in a restaurant. And by the top of the match with Navarro, she felt unwell. After the match, we arrived on the resort, and he or she had a chilly shiver: she was mendacity in mattress and had a fever. After that, we solely had a lightweight exercise, however earlier than the match with Mirra, it was unhappy: 20-Half-hour of warming up, after which there was no power. In case your abdomen is thrashing, it’s beating you laborious,” he defined.
“And actually after a few video games, she mentioned that she had no power. She didn’t eat something, all the things harm. When you have a look at the match, you possibly can see that the particular person enjoying shouldn’t be 100% prepared. And alternatively, there’s Mirra, who did all the things proper: she fought, didn’t give us a simple life. After that, we draw conclusions about vitamin and that we must be extra cautious: search for extra confirmed locations. As a result of it was extraordinarily offensive.”
Whereas Sabalenka did not win any clay titles this 12 months, ending as runner-up within the WTA 1000 tournaments in Madrid and Rome was undoubtedly proof that she will play extraordinarily effectively even on the slowest floor.
