Aryna Sabalenka on loving Hong Kong, Steffi Graf and inspiring young players
The playful world No 1 discusses everything from her US Open triumph to teasing a Battle of the Sexes match with Nick Kyrgios
Aryna Sabalenka is living her best tennis life – travelling the world, eating well, soaking up the sun and winning big. Most recently, she took home the 2025 US Open title after a season marked by triumphs and near misses.
“It’s a great feeling,” says the world No 1. “It’s just fun to be here, to travel around the world, to compete and win. All of it. I’m just really enjoying my tennis life.”
Sabalenka is in Hong Kong for the Prudential NextGen Aces panel and exhibition match, speaking about the pros and pressure that come with being at the top of the game. “It’s a great achievement,” she says, “but it’s a lot of pressure, too. You have a target on your back and everyone’s chasing you.
“I do enjoy being the underdog and seeing the surprise on the top players’ faces when I beat them,” adds the spunky Belarusian. “I’m willing to bring the fight every time.”
Handling high-pressure situations is what makes or breaks athletes. Before her loss to American Jessica Pegula in the Wuhan Open semi-final earlier this month, Sabalenka had won 19 consecutive tiebreaks on tour. “I was super focused, and I knew the importance of each point during the tiebreak and that I had to play an aggressive game in a key moment and put so much pressure on my opponent,” she says. “But it’s possible I got too confident with tiebreaks in general – I just lost the last one [in the Wuhan Open].”