Aryna Sabalenka fires stern warning to WTA rivals after opening win in Indian WellsAryna Sabalenka fires stern warning to WTA rivals after opening win in Indian Wells

Aryna Sabalenka launched her Indian Wells campaign with a hard-fought 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over emerging talent McCartney Kessler, then sent a clear message to her rivals: she’s shaken off the sting of her Australian Open final defeat and is feeling “hungry” again. The world No. 1 had come agonizingly close to a rare Australian Open three-peat in Melbourne, losing a gripping final to Madison Keys. That disappointment seemed to linger, as she struggled through a 1-2 record during last month’s Middle East swing.

Her win over Kessler wasn’t a walkover, but it’s worth noting that the American, fresh off a runner-up finish in Austin, posed a formidable challenge for an opener. Still, Sabalenka sees the victory as a sign of progress. “I’m hungrier than I was in the Middle East,” the three-time Grand Slam champion said. “It’s early—only the third month of the season—so I’m not judging my year yet. There’s a long way to go.”

Sabalenka admitted that her Middle East struggles stemmed from a mental hangover after Melbourne. In Doha, she suffered a surprise first-round loss to Ekaterina Alexandrova. In Dubai, she notched a win over Veronika Kudermetova but was then outclassed 3-6, 2-6 by Clara Tauson in the next round. Reflecting on that slump in Indian Wells, she confessed her mind had been stuck on the Australian Open final. “That loss was really heartbreaking,” she said. “It was tough to bounce back. In the Middle East, I was caught up in my head, replaying that match, trying to figure things out. Maybe that was a mistake, but I needed to process it, step back, and reset. Now, I feel better—that final’s behind me.”

Up next, Sabalenka faces Lucia Bronzetti in the third round, an opponent she comfortably defeated twice last year. With her mental reset in place, the Belarusian appears ready to reclaim her dominant form.