The world’s number one tennis player, Aryna Sabalenka, began her participation in the Australian Open with a victory, although she admitted to feeling nervous playing with legends like Rod Laver and Roger Federer present in the stands. Sabalenka, who is looking to defend her 2023 and 2024 title, and who was a finalist last year, had a complicated start, losing the first three points and her first service game. However, she managed to recover to defeat Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah with a score of 6-4 and 6-1.
Sabalenka, who arrives at the tournament after winning the title in Brisbane, where she defeated Madison Keys in the quarterfinals, is in excellent form and has accumulated 74 weeks as number one in the women’s ranking. During the on-court interview, Sabalenka revealed that she noticed the presence of Laver and Federer, sitting in adjacent seats.I didn’t start in the best way. She came out strong and played very well. It was a complicated start. I am very happy to have found my rhythm at the end of the second set.
Aryna Sabalenka
Despite the pressure, Sabalenka managed to focus and secure a straight-sets victory. In Sunday’s matches, two seeded players were eliminated. Elsa Jacquemot defeated Marta Kostyuk with scores of 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), and 7-6 (7). Zeynep Sonmez defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-5, 4-6, and 6-4. Sonmez interrupted his match in the second set to help a ball boy who seemed affected by the heat, before the tournament’s medical team intervened. Jasmine Paolini, seventh seed, defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich with a score of 6-1 and 6-2. Elina Svitolina and Maria Sakkari also advanced in straight sets. Marketa Vondrousova, former Wimbledon champion, withdrew due to a shoulder injury before her first-round match, allowing Taylor Townsend, the “lucky loser” from the qualifying round, to face Hailey Baptiste. In a two-and-a-half-hour American encounter on court 13, Baptiste prevailed with scores of 6-3, 6-7 (3), and 6-3.I’m a big fan. I wanted to show great tennis for you to enjoy watching me play. There was definitely a lot of pressure. I was walking around thinking “don’t look there, don’t look there!”
Aryna Sabalenka
