Aryna Sabalenka reveals ‘mental health tricks’ that have helped her become tougher

After her US Open fourth-round win, Aryna Sabalenka said having people who support her in every phase of life has helped her mental health.

Aryna Sabalenka reveals ‘mental health tricks’ that have helped her become tougher

Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X)

Aryna Sabalenka has become a ‘mentally tougher’ player and the reason? She is surrounded by the right people who are forever ready to support her during her difficult phases. She was asked this question following her win over Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-4 in the fourth round of the US Open.

Sabalenka arrived in New York on the back of a successful run at the Cincinnati Masters, which she won by beating home favorite Jessica Pegula in straight sets. She is eyeing her first title at the US Open, having reached the final last year where Coco Gauff defeated her. For the 26-year-old Belarusian, the most important thing about her life apart from winning Grand Slam titles, is to have people who support her. 

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I cannot come up with anything right now, but I would definitely say that the main thing to stay mentally healthy is to be surrounded by the right people you know. When you feel all the support, when you feel that your back is covered, that's the main thing.
Aryna Sabalenka said at the press conference 

At the US Open, the only time she dropped a set was against Ekaterina Alexandrova in the third round. Sabalenka has won two titles this season, the Australian Open and the Cincinnati Masters. She skipped the Paris Olympics to take care of her health. 

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Aryna Sabalenka says enjoying life helps her mental health 

Apart from surrounding herself with people who provide her with unwavering support, Aryna Sabalenka said another trick to help her mental health is to enjoy the journey. She believes in working hard, but at the same time, she wants to forget completely about tennis during her free time.

Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X) 
You work hard on court. You fight for it, but then you have,like in the big tournaments, you have a day off. So you have to enjoy that day. You have to completely separate yourself from tennis.
Aryna Sabalenka said 

Sabalenka has now reached back-to-back quarterfinals where she is set to face Paris Olympics’ gold medalist Qinwen Zheng. The two-time Australian Open champion has met Zheng twice, winning both matches.

They last clashed at the 2024 Australian Open final where Sabalenka defended her title with a straight-set win. Their first encounter was at the 2023 US Open quarterfinals. Zheng, in her fourth-round match, defeated Donna Vekic in three sets to set up the clash with Sabalenka.

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