Aryna Sabalenka Jokes About Cursing After Slow Start in Indian Wells Win
Aryna Sabalenka humorously admitted that she couldn’t go without cursing after a sluggish start to her Indian Wells match against Sonay Kartal. However, she was glad that venting her frustration early helped her reset and cruise to a dominant victory.
The world No. 1 got off to a shaky start, making a few uncharacteristic mistakes and getting broken in the very first game. Kartal, a British lucky loser, capitalized on Sabalenka’s errors, winning the game while dropping just one point. That immediately frustrated the 2023 Indian Wells runner-up, who was overheard muttering curse words in her native language.
Fortunately for Sabalenka, her frustration lit a fire under her game. She locked in and won the next 10 games in a row, surging to a 6-1, 4-0 lead before closing out a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory.
“It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t curse a little bit after that first game,” Sabalenka joked. “But I just felt I had to let it go and start fresh.”
Sabalenka Dismisses Claims She Hasn’t Been Tested Yet
Despite her straightforward wins so far, Sabalenka was quick to shut down the idea that she hasn’t faced tough competition in Indian Wells.
The top seed has only played one top-50 opponent so far—McCartney Kessler, whom she defeated 7-6(4), 6-3 in the opening round. She also delivered routine wins over Lucia Bronzetti (6-1, 6-2) and Kartal.
When asked if she felt she hadn’t been tested enough ahead of her quarterfinal clash against No. 24 seed Liudmila Samsonova, Sabalenka playfully challenged the question.
“I’m not the only one who had straightforward matches. What are you trying to say? (smiling)” she quipped. “It’s tennis—especially women’s tennis. Anything can happen. The score might look easy, but the match wasn’t. I think I had enough time on court, and I’m ready for the quarterfinal.”
Sabalenka will now turn her focus to Samsonova, as she looks to continue her strong form and take another step toward her first Indian Wells title.
