“Do a lot of crazy stuff with the team,” 2024 Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka talks about letting off steam in between matches with her adorable quirks

En route to the final, Sabalenka defeated Ella Seidel, Brenda Fruhvirtova, Lesia Tsurenko, Amanda Anisimova, Barbora Krejcikova, and Coco Gauff.

“Do a lot of crazy stuff with the team,” 2024 Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka talks about letting off steam in between matches with her adorable quirks

Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X)

There are several clips of Aryna Sabalenka doing coordinated dances with her team en route to her second Grand Slam title. In the final of the 2024 Australian Open, she breezed past China’s Qinwen Zheng in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 at the Rod Laver Arena and defended her crown in Melbourne on Saturday (January 27).

Following her victory, Sabalenka recalled how she danced in Australia last year and then performed the dance moves as well. The interviewer asked if she kept things simple after telling her about the clips of her dance with her team and her warming up with balloons backstage.

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Yeah, I think it's all about having fun and enjoying the process. We always do a lot of crazy stuff with the team (smiling).
Sabalenka said after the match

Sabalenka said doing such fun activities helps her to focus better when she is dealing with immense pressure.

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I don't know. It helped me to stay focused on the court. You know, because there's enough pressure on the court, and off the court, we're just trying to keep it simple, keep it fun, and make sure that all of us enjoy the process.
Sabalenka added

En route to the final, Sabalenka defeated Ella Seidel, Brenda Fruhvirtova, Lesia Tsurenko, Amanda Anisimova, Barbora Krejcikova, and Coco Gauff. Gauff was expected to give a tough time to the Belarusian, but the latter had the last laugh as she prevailed over the teenager.

Aryna Sabalenka vs Qinwen Zheng match recap

At last year’s US Open, Aryna Sabalenka was hammered by Coco Gauff in the final, which denied her her second Grand Slam and first US Open title. But that “sad moment” motivated her to work harder. She called herself a different player and a person.

Aryna Sabalenka
Qinwen Zheng, Aryna Sabalenka (Images via X)

In the Australian Open final match, Qinwen Zheng was behind Sabalenka 1-4 in the first set, but the Chinese made a comeback to win the next game. But Sabalenka extended her lead by winning another game to inch closer to the win.

Zheng, however, denied that by winning the eighth game. Needing just one game to win, Sabalenka did not wait anymore and finished the game with a 6-3 score.

The second set was no different from the first. Sabalenka took the lead by winning the first two games. But Zheng fought back to win the third game but couldn’t repeat the same in the next two games as Sabalenka overpowered her after taking the lead 4-1.

The 25-year-old had to wait then as Zheng won the seventh game and gave a tough fight to the Belarusian in the eighth game, but in vain. Sabalenka claimed the set and became the second-time Australian Open champion.

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