Aryna Sabalenka Press Conference | 2024 US Open Round 2

congratulations straight sets one hour impressive performance give us your thoughts on how you play today yeah yeah I'm super super happy with the level today uh she's really tough opponent and um even though the score doesn't look like that but it was it wasn't easy playing against her and just super happy to win uh win this match in two sets congratulations moving on to the third round questions David hia David Kane tennis.com I'm wondering at one point in the match did you notice your young fan who was dressed like you at the tiger tattoo and what was it like to interact with her the yeah it was that was really adorable moment um I just looked up and I saw on the big screen like me me and I was I was it was so cute and I it's such an um motivation to keep going to uh to inspire the Young Generation I mean that's the main goal and um yeah that was very adorable moment yeah yeah I mean the first time I see someone like like dress ing um dress up the same as me and having like little tattoo and little tiger how cute is that congrats AR 14 consecutive sets You've Won um since the start of Cincinnati what has been the thing that you're most proud of in your game in what you're doing on the court that um that you think has been the key to getting these straight set wins I think it's more about the mindset I think of being being um really focused on in each game I was um like 100% on and no matter what what's was going on in court I was I was calm like controlled and um I think that's that's the key that was the key Richard Arena uh Madison Keys spoke earlier this week that it's hard to live this life with a number next to your name you're living and dying week to week with wins and losses you talked a little bit in Cincinnati about this about this new mindset about letting go of some of that I wondered if you just expand on that a bit the new outlook for you um you mean like mind said on like keep keep going after like a little lighter then yeah okay um well I I would say that at the beginning when I just started playing on tour I was putting so much pressure lots of expectations lots of goals like uh um was too much pressure and I was living in the like thinking nonstop about like playing the match which is not bad you know like when you're trying to get on that top level but uh when you get in that top level it can be destruction you know you need to um separate these things you know like you definitely have to be focused on tennis you have to be it's it's it's have to be your life you know you have to thinking on which aset of the game you can improve and all that stuff but at the same time you you have to you have to have fun as as well you know like like on court you're working hard off Court you just have to like forget about tennis and just you know like just try to enjoy your life find like little things which brings you Joy in life and and just just like that I mean I found for myself that's really helpful and somehow with years with experience and with everything I was able to separate tenis life uh all that expectations all that goals and everything from like just just just life you know like just um easy stuff you know like having breakf in a good place having like good coffee like having a good dinner spending time with the friends family and um yeah I think that's that's the key on managing all this stuff losses and and of course success really how would you describe Paul Bosa and your friendship oh wow um how would I describe that it's it's just an amazing thing you know uh to find someone so similar to you and and having the same kind of like mindset same thoughts on on different topics and and just be able to to talk to someone and to have fun with someone just to have friend that's really awesome especially like when you're uh when your opponents on Court and be able to manage this stuff that's really important but how I would describe it just uh just amazing thing you know like so much fun and what have been your observations of the way she's dealt with her physical struggle and seems to be in a really good place right now yeah I'm super happy to see her back I um when she was struggling I saw um I saw how much how tough it was for her and how much she struggled and I I Tred to like kind of like help her like talking about stuff like I was just telling her like if you have any question if whatever like you need just just asked just talk like I'm I'm I'm here to help you whatever you need and and seeing her right now on her I would say she's on the on back on her top level and that's really amazing and I'm really happy for her and she deserve it you know she's she's a fighter she's hardworking girl she's um amazing person and I mean she deserve it all hi AR Arthur with the USA looking back at the last year or so six of your last seven finals have been either slams or the 1000s obviously that's a skill that so many great Champions have had over the years to Peak at the big events so curious how you have worked on that skill for yourself to be at your best at the biggest events well the main thing I was working on is on the mindset of the game and on controlling my emotions because before like few years ago I was all over the place I could easily lose the mat just get just get upset or frustrated by something and just easily lose the match and right now I'm just trying to um no matter what's going on I'm just trying to fight trying to find the uh the way how to win the match and like I work a lot on my mindset um Arena you've been performing pretty well lately do you regret that you didn't try to win an Olympic medal for Belarus um first of all I got injured before wimble done and I was doing lots of rehab and while while Olympics just got started I was still doing reop and um you know this the schedule is really crazy and you have to sacrifice something and um I decided to sacrifice with the Olympics and yeah I think I did the right choice really just one more thing it it hasn't been decided yet they're still playing but if you do face alexandrova what are your thoughts on the matches you've had and the challenge ahead in facing her now I mean she's a great player and we had a lot of like great battles really tight matches and uh she's really aggressive player serving well and I think the surface fits her game really well um it's going to be challenging uh facing her but I always enjoy our matches and I'm really looking forward for that a great fight thank you everyone thank you thank you