The coach of the recent US Open 2024 champion points out the aspects to work on for the future, as well as discussing the battle for the number one spot.
Still with Aryna Sabalenka’s triumph in mind, Anton Dubrov talks about how he experienced his pupil’s most recent success. These last months have not been easy for a player who was struggling both personally and professionally. Despite missing one of the most special tournaments for her, the Belarusian made a strong comeback with a great American tour that ended with the US Open trophy.
“Honestly, it means a lot. We went through very tough times before, especially in July when she got injured before Wimbledon. That was the period when we had some doubts about what we were going to do next because we had to come back and see how we could return to this point after a tough defeat last year,” explains Anton Dubrov in an interview with The National.
Aryna Sabalenka and the pressure of Arthur Ashe
“Aryna did great, she stuck to the plan, trusted the process, believed in the things we talked about every day, and was brave enough to do them when under immense pressure. Playing a final against an American at the US Open is very tough; in this stadium, there is immense pressure all the time. I usually take Advil [ibuprofen] because I can’t handle it, and she is on the court alone, against everyone. As she herself has said, she is proud of herself, and the whole team is very proud of her,” confesses Sabalenka’s coach.
“Everything can improve. Honestly, everything. Starting with the movement, the mental aspect as well, there are things she can improve. She’s much better, but she can still improve. In the technical aspect, you never stop because there is always room for improvement. As you can see in all champions, in their careers, in how they were at the top all the time, if you look at them at 18 and at 35, they are like two completely different people, so there is always something to improve.”
The fight in the ranking
“The main goal is to be fit and healthy because it will take us some time to recover. For us, the main goal of this season is to finish on a good note. Right now, I would say we can talk about the number 1, finishing the year as number 1 is a really nice goal, but the American tour has cost us a lot of energy and emotions, so the first thing we need to do is learn to recover as quickly as possible and set those goals. Everyone has goals and says, ‘I want to win four Slams and finish No. 1’. It’s a great goal, and you can achieve it, but it takes time to manage it.”
Stability in the women’s circuit
“I would love to say it is more stable, but I see some girls who are very close to the top. You can see more stability at the top, but at the same time, it’s more about if some of the top players stop improving at any moment, they will be replaced very soon.”
