“Couldn’t see myself winning one Grand Slam,” Aryna Sabalenka launches bizarre confession after her thumping win at the 2024 Australian Open

Sabalenka beat her Chinese opponent in straight sets 6-3, 6-2.

“Couldn’t see myself winning one Grand Slam,” Aryna Sabalenka launches bizarre confession after her thumping win at the 2024 Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka (Image via Open Source/X)

Aryna Sabalenka earns a thumping win in the finals of the Australian Open to win her second consecutive title of the tournament. The Belarusian was up against the Chinese 12th seed Qinwen Zheng on Saturday.

Sabalenka didn’t take long to beat Zheng in straight sets to successfully defend her title. Since 2013, when Victoria Azarenka achieved the feat, she became the first woman to successfully defend her title.

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After the match, the Belarusian made an interesting statement in the post-match interview which might come across as a surprise to her fans. She said,

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I couldn't see myself winning one Grand Slam. Now I won this back-to-back. I surprised myself there two weeks. I was under pressure but tried to ignore that and not thinking about what was going on. Just tried to keep going.

It would not be wrong to say that nobody gave a tough time to the Belarusian since the start of the tournament as she won the Grand Slam without dropping a single set.

The Belarusian also had some kind words for her Chinese opponent, Qinwen Zheng. The current World No. 2 said,

 I know this feeling -- it is tough to lose in a final, but you are such an incredible player, such a young girl. You are going to be in many more finals, and you are going to get it.

Aryna Sabalenka- the force to deal with in the coming tournaments

So far in the season, the Belarusian has been in superb touch. The way she has dominated in the court has been exceptional. Beating the World No.4 Coco Gauff in straight sets in the semis and then coming back in the finals and beating an in-form Zheng speaks of her skillset and resilience.

Aryna Sabalenka made a bizarre statement after she wins her second consecutive Australian Open beating Qinwen Zhang in straight sets.
Aryna Sabalenka (image via: WTA)

With this win, she etched her name along with the other four legendary players who have won back-to-back Australian Open titles. Joining Jennifer Capriati, Serena Williams, and Victoria Azarenka, Sabalenka finds herself amongst the greatest of all time. 

Her dominance in the hard courts of the Australian Open remains unchallenged as of now. The 25-year-old has lost just one match this season in Australia.

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