Can anyone stop Sabalenka? It will take a bold, brave and fearless player to step up

1 month ago 18

There will be no denying Aryna Sabalenka’s standing as favourite to clinch a third Australian Open mantle, but even the world No.1 has issued a warning to the contingent of hopefuls hunting her place on the podium: she is far from the finished product.

The Belarus powerhouse was unstoppable in launching her year at the Brisbane International, not dropping a set all week as she conquered Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-3 in Sunday’s final.

All tournament she lost just 27 games to defend her crown on Pat Rafter Arena, with her back-court ferocity and speed on serve – among the fastest on tour – on show throughout.

Aryna Sabalenka celebrates during her Brisbane International triumph.

Yet, there were signs of deft touches that threw those who opposed her off their rhythm at times, an indication this is perhaps the most complete her game has been in her career.

Her clinical quarter-final triumph of reigning Australian Open queen Madison Keys – who defeated Sabalenka in the Melbourne final last year – was a masterclass, while Kostyuk was eventually overpowered come the Brisbane decider.

But Sabalenka hinted she had more gears to hit before launching her grand slam campaign.

“This is something I’ve been working on my whole life, but it had never really worked for me,” she said when asked if she had been making conscious efforts to add softer touches to her repertoire.

“But a couple of years ago, I finally found the touch game. I changed my game style –now I’m not only the aggressive player, I can play the net, I can be in defence, I can use my slice, and that’s something I’ve been working my whole career to have that variety in my game.

“There are so many things I can improve at, and that’s the beauty of sport – there’s always that little per cent or room for improvement. I definitely feel really great about my game, but I also know there are a lot of things to improve and work on.”

The victor appeared to kiss both her biceps after the winning point. However, she dismissed the notion it was a cheeky counter to Kostyuk’s “out of context” comments made last year about some players possessing higher levels of testosterone.

“During the game I made a lot of aggressive winners, I wanted to see the speed, so I was just making fun with my team,” Sabalenka said.

“When I go into the match it’s all about tennis, I think about my tennis and things I have to do to win. It doesn’t matter if it’s Marta Kostyuk or Jessica Pegula there, I still go out there and try my best and fight for the trophy.

“I have nothing to prove, and I just compete as an athlete.”

Handshakes were not shared between the pair, while Kostyuk used her runners-up speech to deliver an emotional tribute to those suffering during the Russia-Ukraine war back home. She also did not make mention of Sabalenka as she addressed.

“I think it’s important for me to use my platform in the right way, and my platform is Ukraine,” Kostyuk said, when asked if she felt a responsibility to keep the conflict at the forefront of minds.

“I think it’s really important to talk about it, and I think I have such exposure – so many people follow me and look up to me, and I’ve just learnt with the war it’s really important to stand up for things and talk about them.

“No matter what is, if it’s what you believe in you have to talk about it. The reality back home is very different, so I feel like I cannot ignore it and I have to share it. In my position, it’s not OK to not talk about it.”

While Sabalenka eventually ran away with the contest, Kostyuk showed there were ways to throw the champion off her game. It would just take being bold, brave and unafraid to make mistakes.

Trailing 3-0 in the first set, Kostyuk’s chance to break back came by ensuring she made her chances to return on second serve count, before going after the first serve.

Sabalenka’s power on serve was no doubt an advantage, often reaching speeds 20 to 30km/h faster than her Ukrainian rival, and it will undoubtedly be a key weapon of hers again at the Australian Open.

But there were key moments when Kostyuk was fearless enough to attack those opening serves on the front foot – a pair of immediate winners and another return right to Sabalenka’s feet paved the way for her to break back.

She took the risk of striving for the side and baselines. While the gamble did not always pay off, with Sabalenka winning 80 per cent of her first serve points, it did get her back in the contest, admitting her slice was not reaping rewards, and she needed to change tactics.

The 23-year-old, whose efforts have her just inside the top 20 according to the WTA’s live rankings, defeated three top 10 stars – Amanda Anisimova, Mirra Andreeva and Jessica Pegula – to reach Sunday’s final, and believed she was not far off challenging for a major trophy.

“My forehand slice on the return wasn’t working that well today, and I felt like she would get the advantage in the rally very quick, so I didn’t want to give her that opportunity,” Kostyuk said.

“I was trying different things, I wasn’t as sharp today or as fast. I was going for a little more than usual because the pressure she creates on the court, if you play a little shorter it’s almost a winner right away [for Sabalenka].”