Aryna Sabalenka Transforms Her Game with High-Stakes Training Strategies

Aryna Sabalenka is currently riding high at the tennis world’s number 2 but she has made a rather striking revelation in her training regime: she has been wagering heavily on practice matches. 

Aryna Sabalenka Shares How Wagering in Practice Matches Prepares Her for Grand Slam Success

After reaching the semifinals of the US Open, Sabalenka said how she and her staff sometimes bet massive sums of money on practices as a way to prepare for real matches. Gunning for her third Grand Slam title, the Belarussian tennis star, acknowledged that such wagers have turned out badly for her on some occasions straining her finances, in one case, a practice match ended up costing her $5,000, as reported by the Daily Express.

She further revealed that her coach likes including money on the table during these training practice matches, to add pressure and tension in the practice. While the bets can lead to hefty losses, Sabalenka has also enjoyed the satisfaction of winning money back from her camp.  She quipped that the ‘sweetest money’ is the money won from her coach. She concluded that it was a great training exercise although it could be quite costly.

Aryna Sabalenka Reveals Her Evolving Mindset on Pressure in Sports

Apart from employing betting as a form of motivational trick, Sabalenka also talked about how the issues of pressure in sports are becoming less of a burden to her with time. She confessed that earlier, it was difficult for her to relax, often thinking way too much about tennis on her rest days, which resulted in her feeling exhausted.

However, the two-time Grand Slam champion has managed to change the situation – now, she is calm and tries as much as possible not to be burdened by any expectations. Sabalenka now tries to approach each match with the mindset that the only thing she can control is herself, and that she must fight for every point.

It seems that her unconventional approach towards practice is bearing fruit. For the fourth year in a row, her name will be in the US Open semifinal list after outperforming Olympic gold medalist, Qinwen Zheng in the quarterfinals, 6-1, 6-2. Emma Navarro now stands between her and hopes of prolonging the winning spree.

Aryna Sabalenka had a remarkable year last season, highlighted by her maiden Grand Slam victory. She secured the title in Melbourne by defeating Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final. In addition to that triumph, Sabalenka made it to the US Open final and advanced to the semifinals of both the French Open and Wimbledon. Now, her sights are set on making 2024 an even more successful year.