Reset Has Sabalenka Eyeing Cincy, Us Open Repeats

By Richard Osborn

Aryna Sabalenka says she limited her post-Wimbledon workouts to 30-minute sessions on a stair mill.

In a bikini and flipflops.

That’s just how it’s done on the Greek island of Mykonos, where the world No. 1 jetted off to with boyfriend Georgios Frangulis for what she says was a much-needed breather. Here she was in July, still seeking her first major singles title of the year, having fallen short in both the Australian Open and Roland Garros finals, and in the semis at the All England Club.

“The season has been really intense. It’s impossible to be on your best level every day, every week,” said the three-time Slam champ on Wednesday before setting out on her Cincinnati Open title defense. “I thought, ‘Maybe I need to step back and take a little break, just chill, recharge and start everything all over again. It was amazing. I felt so good. Now I’m fresh and ready.”

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It has been an odd summer for the Belarusian baseliner, who caught plenty of flak for her comments following her 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 loss to American Coco Gauff in Paris (“I think she won the match not because she played incredible; just because I made all of those mistakes.”). By the start of the grass-court campaign, Sabalenka and Gauff had made amends, and all was once again hunky dory between the two. There’s nothing like a good TikTok dance-off to clear the air.

“Some people don’t really understand the intensity of everything, that when you lose the final of one of the biggest tournaments and you go to media straightaway, you’re so frustrated, so pissed at yourself, you’re trying to figure out what just happened. You don’t think clearly, and you make a comment and people forget completely about who you are the rest of the time.” she said. “I had to sit back and reflect on everything and apologize and make sure people understand my point that I was just overemotional. I was completely wrong. It took a little while to explain myself a little better. But now I think people understand me even better. It was a tough lesson, but it helped me in many ways.”

One of the tour’s most refreshing, outgoing personalities says she uses her social media platforms as a way to better connect with tennis fans, and to avoid being misunderstood. She’s even launched her own YouTube channel, “Aryna’s Arena.”

“I like to share myself. I like to show myself,” said Sabalenka. “Who’s going to tell your story better than you? I love to just throw it out there and see how people reflect on my story.”

“Next time I go on court, people supporting me know, ‘Okay, she’s crazy right now. She’s focused, she’s yelling, she’s screaming, but we know the other side of Aryna’. I just want to feel a little more connected to people. I hope it motivates people and shows another side of an athlete, that we are all humans.”

Sabalenka caught fire this time last year, reeling off a 15-match winning streak that featured back-to-back titles at the Cincinnati Open and US Open, where on both occasions she got the best of American Jessica Pegula. Yet more reason for her mid-season pause in 2025, which saw her sit out Montreal: Replenishing her system for another trophy-filled summer run.

“We’re just trying to manage the energy a bit better, because the schedule is really intense,” she said. “It’s a really important part of the season. The US Open has always been my favorite Slam. I’m the defending champion, and I love being in this position. I really hope those lessons I learned in the previous Slams are going to help me. I really hope I’m going to get to my peak at the Open.”

Misunderstood? Maybe. But the top-seed says the more she puts herself out there, the more people get to know the real Aryna.

“I think nowadays people know me as a player and as a person,” she said. “I feel like people know, ‘On court, she’s a great, she’s passionate, she’s focused, she’s fighting for her dream. But also, she’s fun, she’s nice, she’s chill, she’s a completely different person’.”