World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka believes her facial features contribute to a perception that she can be unapproachable, a trait she attributes to her "Slavic face." As she prepares for her bid to win a maiden Wimbledon title, the 28-year-old noted that this can lead to individuals perceiving her as unfriendly or intimidating.
Sabalenka shared that even her close friend on the tour, Paula Badosa, initially thought she was hostile. "When we met, I was like, 'Oh, I thought you were a bitch!' And she's like, 'I thought you were a bitch, too!'" Sabalenka told The Guardian. "I guess it's just the attitude that we carry on court."
She elaborated that when she presents a "flat face and no emotions," she can appear "very aggressive," leading to misunderstandings. "When you get to know me better you understand that it's just something I was born with," she added.
On-Court Emotions
Regarding her often fiery on-court presence, Sabalenka explained it as an ongoing effort to manage her emotions. "Even if sometimes you see me getting emotional or yelling at my box, it's something that I need," she stated. She and her team have agreed that expressing these emotions, such as throwing a racket or yelling, helps her release pent-up feelings to continue competing.
Sabalenka acknowledged that while she is in better control now, she still sometimes engages in behavior she is not proud of. She found that suppressing emotions, as is often advised, was detrimental to her well-being. "You’re just holding so much," she said, explaining her approach to her team: "just throwing this aggression to someone that can handle it, just so I can continue fighting on the court."
Player Protests at Wimbledon
Sabalenka, along with men's world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, has been involved in player protests at Wimbledon advocating for increased prize money. The players have limited their media appearances to 15 minutes, a tactic also employed at the French Open. Despite Wimbledon increasing prize money by 20 percent, players contend that this revision only provides them with just over 14 percent of the tournament's total revenue, falling short of their requested 16 percent.
"We do it for the tour, we don't do it for ourselves," Sabalenka said. "We do it for the rest of the players who are suffering to even hire a coach. It's not an easy life for lower-ranked players."
The Belarusian star has reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon three times and is aiming to add the grass-court Grand Slam title to her Australian and US Open championships when the tournament commences on Sunday.