Aryna Sabalenka shares the importance of a good team for any up-and-coming player
Aryna Sabalenka believes that a good team plays a crucial role in the success of a young player like Mirra Andreeva who is coached by Conchita Martinez.
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Aryna Sabalenka and her team (image via Instagram @arynasabalenka)
It’s been a few days since Aryna Sabalenka lost the 2025 Indian Wells final, however she continues to dedicate words of appreciation to her opponent, Mirra Andreeva. At the Miami Open Media Day, the World No. 1 reiterated the significance of a good and supportive team for a tennis player, and made some bold predictions about Andreeva.
During the beginning of her career, Sabalenka was coached by Khalil Ibrahimov for two years up until early 2018. At this point, she began working with former Swedish tennis players Magnus Norman and Magnus Tideman. Dmitry Tursunov became her primary coach in time for the grass court season in 2018. Sabalenka briefly parted ways with Tursunov after the 2019 US Open.
Regarding young players, we are all different, and each goes through different challenges. If you want the transition to professionalism to be smoother, you really have to surround yourself with a good team and the right people to have a healthy environment around you, things become easier. It’s very difficult to succeed in sports when there is a lot of stress off the court. Basically, that’s the main reason why some young players are going through it easily while others struggle more.
Aryna Sabalenka told the reporters
Albeit reuniting later in the year, Sabalenka made the split with Tursunov permanent at the end of the season. She briefly worked with Dieter Kindlmann before switching coaches to her longtime hitting partner and compatriot Anton Dubrov in 2020.
Sabalenka, then ranked just outside the WTA’s top 10, found increasingly consistent results with Dubrov, clinching four WTA Tour titles in the first year of his coaching tenure. An expert in biomechanics was brought in to help fix her serve in August 2022. She shortly won her maiden Grand Slam singles title in 2023 at the Australian Open.
As of 2025, the Belarusian’s coaching team includes Dubrov, fitness trainer Jason Stacy, a martial arts expert, and hitting partner Andrei Vasilevski. She speaks highly of her present team and is often seen dancing together on Instagram with her team.
Aryna Sabalenka commends Mirra Andreeva’s team
During the victory ceremony, after Mirra Andreeva won the Indian Wells, runner-up Aryna Sabalenka commended the Russian on having a good team. Andreeva has been coached by Conchita Martinez since April 2024. During her days, Martinez was the Wimbledon champion in 1994 and runner-up at the 1998 Australian Open and the 2000 French Open.
Congrats on having a great team. If I had the same team you have at your age, I’d probably be a better player by now. Don’t look at my team. I have the best team right now. I mean before!
Aryna Sabalenka said in her speech after the 2025 Indian Wells finals
Coming from a set down, Andreeva defeated Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final. This marked her first victory over the World No. 1 on hard court. During her speech, Sabalenka also added that if she had the same team as Andreeva at her age, she’d probably be a better player by now. Sabalenka cheekily remarked that she has the best team now and was referring to her previous teams when talking about her need for a better team.
Aryna Sabalenka heaps praise on Mirra Andreeva
Mirra Andreeva, at just 17, has made impressive strides in the field of tennis. She has won three singles titles, clinching two WTA 1000 titles back to back after her triumph at the Dubai Tennis Championships and is also the youngest WTA 1000 champion.
Without a doubt, she has improved her game, as the result shows. She moves well on the court, serves well, hits very well. She has touch and has matured a lot. She is very quick to get results and with the improvements in her game, and she is very young. I can’t predict when she will win a Grand Slam or be number 1 in the world, but she definitely will.
Aryna Sabalenka said
Aryna Sabalenka acknowledged Andreeva’s outstanding growth. The three-time Grand Slam champion’s prediction clearly signifies the huge potential the young Russian has.
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