Aryna Sabalenka’s Coach Jason Stacy Gets Emotional Recalling Financial Sacrifices Before Her $50 Million Career: “She Was Paying for Everything”

Aryna Sabalenka has earned more than $50 million in career prize money. She is now one of the most marketable players on the WTA Tour, earning a great deal through sponsorships and brand deals.

Whatever she earns from tournaments, her coaches get a percentage of the prize money. Sabalenka has spent 104 weeks on top of the rankings table and has managed to maintain her position since 2024.

The Belarusian ace reached the No.1 ranking for the first time in September 2023. That year, she clinched her career’s first Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open (beat Elena Rybakina) and lost the US Open final to home favorite Coco Gauff.

At that time, she was working with her coaches Anton Dubrov and Jason Stacy. Even though both Dubrov and Stacy are now able to enjoy the rewards of their success, things were not great financially even when she was a top-10 player. Her coaches, in fact, shared hotel rooms during those times.

She was paying for all of our flights, all of our food every day, all of our hotel, plus our salaries- everything. It’s a lot of money, and there were no sponsorship deals at the time. Income was purely from what she won on the tour. That was it. And that was up and down.

Jason Stacy told Front Office Sports

Last year at the US Open, Sabalenka beat home favorite Amanda Anisimova and pocketed $5 million, the highest winner’s prize money among the four Majors.

Before she really broke through, we wanted her to understand that we’re here for the team and for her, not for ourselves. As part of proving that, we set up our agreement where we can have a lower salary, but with percentages, so it’s performance-based.

Jason Stacy added

Stacy, however, is well aware that certain things can affect players’ careers in a negative way. He also got emotional when he recalled a moment while traveling to a tournament on a private jet with Sabalenka and Dubrov.

I remember sitting there for a moment going: ‘What the heck. Look where we are. This is crazy.’

Under these two coaches, Sabalenka, a 24-time tour-level singles title winner, has now won four Grand Slam singles trophies and has also played the same number of Grand Slam finals.

Jason Stacy on Aryna Sabalenka’s recent struggles

Aryna Sabalenka has been struggling a lot by her own standards since completing the Sunshine Double by defeating Coco Gauff at the Miami Open. Since that win, she has reached just one semifinal (in Berlin).

At present, the 28-year-old is competing at the Cincinnati Open, which she won in 2024. She went past Talia Gibson and Wang Xinyu to schedule her fourth-round match against Sara Bejlek.

Jason Stacy is not worried about Sabalenka’s form. He is convinced that if they follow the process, good results will eventually come.

We’ve put together a lot of pieces of the puzzle that, for the most part, over the last several years, it’s been working very, very well. But when you’re doing those things, and you’re pushing yourself, you’re still going to have moments where, you know, we get off track a little bit… But when you trust that process, it allows you to go: ‘You know what, it’s fine. I’m going to keep fighting because it’s the right thing for me to do.’

Jason Stacy told Front Office Sports

Sabalenka is chasing her fourth title of the season. Apart from the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open, she won the Brisbane International and also reached the final of the Australian Open this year. Elena Rybakina beat her in Melbourne.

Also read: Jessica Pegula Navigates Evolving Cincinnati Conditions Amid Strategic Season Push