Aryna Sabalenka disagrees with Carlos Alcaraz’s take on two-week tournaments
For Carlos Alcaraz, the one-week Masters 1000 tournaments are the best for tennis, but Aryna Sabalenka prefers the two-week events.
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Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz, Australian Open)
Aryna Sabalenka prefers two-week tournaments but Carlos Alcaraz is not a fan of them. Both Alcaraz and Sabalenka are in Madrid, gearing up for the two-week tournament of the 1000 category.
Alcaraz will begin his campaign against Zizou Bergs or Yoshihito Nishioka, while Sabalenka is scheduled to meet Anna Blinkova. Both the players are bidding to win their third title in the Spanish capital.
Alcaraz, who has often criticized the hectic schedule, said the weeklong Masters 1000 tournaments are the best for tennis as he finds it tough to rest in the two-week events. Sabalenka, however, finds time to recharge her batteries during the two-week WTA 1000 tournaments.
I prefer two-week tournaments because having a rest day between matches allows you to be more relaxed, go out to dinner with your team, and explore the city.
Aryna Sabalenka said at the press conference
Sabalenka, however, can’t guarantee that she will prefer the two-week events in the future as she thinks she would rather like to spend more time at home. The Belarusian also favors the automatic line calls in clay-court events.
Regarding line calls, I always prefer automatic because there are situations where chair umpires could make mistakes since visible marks don’t always match reality due to the ball’s trajectory and speed.
Aryna Sabalenka added
In the Stuttgart Open quarterfinal, when Sabalenka was 3-3 and 15-40, her former doubles partner broke her serve after Sabalenka hit a volley toward the baseline. The line judge called it out, but Sabalenka was convinced that the ball touched the line. When chair umpire Miriam Bley refused to overturn the decision, Sabalenka sparked controversy when, during the change of ends, she used a phone to take a picture of the mark of the ball.
Aryna Sabalenka admits she doesn’t want to recall the 2024 Madrid Open final
Aryna Sabalenka was bidding to win her third title in Madrid last year. Except for the victory against Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals, all the matches she played were three-set battles, including the final against Iga Swiatek.
The 2024 WTA Match of the Year saw the 26-year-old squander three championship points, making Swiatek a Madrid Open champion for the first time in her career. Sabalenka wants to forget that match as it was a painful experience for her.
The truth is, it was an impressive spectacle, and I proved to myself that I can play at a very high level on clay. Losing that match was very upsetting for me, but I feel honored to have been part of such a duel.
Aryna Sabalenka said at the press conference
Sabalenka could schedule a clash with the five-time Grand Slam champion if both of them reach the finals. The Pole holds an 8-4 head-to-head record but lost their last encounter in the semifinals of the 2024 Cincinnati Open.
While Sabalenka, who reached four finals this season, will be chasing her third title, Swiatek will hope to end her trophy drought, for she hasn’t yet added a title to her trophy cabinet since winning her fourth French Open last year. Last year, apart from the Madrid Open and the French Open, Swiatek also lifted the Italian Open, beating Sabalenka in the final.
These were three of the five titles she lifted on clay. Swiatek, in her first match, is set to meet Alexandra Eala, which will also be a rematch of this year’s Miami Open quarterfinals which the Filipina won in straight sets.
While Sabalenka kick-started her campaign on the clay swing by reaching the Stuttgart Open final, Swiatek’s campaign was ended by eventual winner Jelena Ostapenko, who improved her head-to-head record over the World No.2 to 6-0.
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