Aryna Sabalenka Admits She Ends Up Fighting with Her Coaches If They Criticize Her ‘Too Harshly’

Aryna Sabalenka is in Cincinnati, chasing her fourth title of the season. She kicked off her campaign against Talia Gibson and is now set to face Wang Xinyu.

Following her straight-set win over Gibson, Sabalenka talked about her team dynamics. The four-time Grand Slam singles champion has time and again reflected on how being criticized way too harshly by her former coaches when she was a newcomer greatly affected her.

Sabalenka also once recounted being called “stupid” and “not smart enough”. She accused them of breaking the players by crushing their confidence, saying they “know nothing” and should “quit” their job to save players.

And this is why, Sabalenka said, she ends up fighting her current coaches if they criticize her.

If I see my team start criticizing me too harshly, I think we’d end up in a big fight, and it wouldn’t be a good fight. Every player receives information differently. Early in my career, I was heavily criticized and grew up in that environment, but today we like to talk about what’s happening, put it into perspective, and make adjustments.

Aryna Sabalenka told Tennis Channel

Her coach, Anton Dubrov, who met her when she was 14, told TIME that she is the one who always argued with the coaches.

In tough times, we get closer, have fun, have barbecues, and try to relax a bit because there’s a lot of pressure. I feel like my recipe for overcoming these big challenges is through conversation and having fun.

Aryna Sabalenka added

Sabalenka has also often made cheeky comments during on-court interviews and press conferences about her coaches. When she loses a tournament, she jokingly blames them for her defeat.

Sabalenka also shares clips of her funny banter with her team. She often signs the bald head of her fitness coach, Jason Stacy, with a marker pen as a pre-match ritual.

Aryna Sabalenka feels super motivated when she plays in New York City

New York City is a city that never sleeps, and Aryna Sabalenka loves its vibe. After Cincinnati, she will enter New York as the defending champion at the US Open, where last year, she upset home favorite Amanda Anisimova.

Sabalenka recently sat for an interview with TIME, during which she talked about the fast-paced culture of New York, where she has her breakfast and coffee spots, as well as her go-to restaurant. She also enjoys walking through the iconic Central Park.

Everyone is rushing there. Everyone is chasing something. And you’re there chasing your own thing. You feel supermotivated. For living, probably I wouldn’t choose New York, to be honest. But going there for two, three weeks, that’s amazing.

The main draw of the US Open singles kicks off on August 30. But Sabalenka and several other top players will be in action the previous week because of the revamped mixed doubles.

Sabalenka, due to Grigor Dimitrov’s withdrawal last year, couldn’t compete in mixed doubles, but this year she will. And her partner will be none other than 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, with whom Sabalenka shares a great bond.

I love that the whole stadium, if they support you, they get loud. They go crazy. They’re just there for you. It’s the best thing on earth.

Aryna Sabalenka added

But at present, the 28-year-old will be hoping to end her title drought. She last won a tournament at the Miami Open by defeating Coco Gauff, but has struggled a great deal by her own standards since then.

The only time she made the semifinal since that win was at the Berlin Open. Before Cincinnati, she played at the Canadian Open, where her run ended in the fourth round.

Also read: Aryna Sabalenka Reveals the Importance of TikTok to Connect With New Tennis Generations