Sabalenka: I grew up thanks to Djokovic

"How to handle and look at a problem as a whole, both on and off the court, is the most valuable lesson I received from Novak ", Sabalenka said when attending the WTA Finals, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on November 5. "Sometimes you have to slow down, sit down and observe things more closely. It's like you become an outsider, looking at your own problems. The solution often comes from that. "

The close relationship between Sabalenka and Djokovic has become a familiar image in the tennis world. Besides regularly practicing at tournaments, the two are also not afraid to tease each other or appear together at side events of the tennis industry. European media also reported that Sabalenka and Djokovic are contributing capital to invest in a number of other fields.

Stepping back and analyzing problems with a clear mind is not Sabalenka's habit. The Belarusian tennis player admitted she is still practicing this skill. Sabalenka also shared about the difficult period in her playing mentality when entering this year's US Open.

"After the defeat in the final of Roland Garros, and then the comments from the media, I went through a really difficult time. Even after improving my playing style, I still felt that I was not good enough. In major finals, I still could not control my emotions. That lesson was not easy to overcome, but in the end, it was something I had to face. face", Sabalenka added. "Thanks to the US Open title, I feel grateful for the hardships I faced. "

At the last Grand Slam of the year, Sabalenka was crowned with only losing one set. In the final, the 27-year-old tennis player defeated host representative Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6, thereby successfully defending the US Open runner-up title and increasing the total number of major titles to 4.

Sabalenka currently participates in the WTA Finals - a tournament for the eight best players of the year. She is in the Steffi Graf group, having won against Jasmine Paolini and Jessica Pegula in the first two rounds. Sabalenka will meet Coco Gauff in the final match today. She needs to avoid losing both sets to be sure to win tickets to the semi-finals.

Djokovic is considered the greatest tennis player in history, with 24 Grand Slams and many big and small records. He is participating in the ATP 250 Hellenic Championship held in Athens this week. It is expected that at 11 p.m. today, November 6 (Hanoi time), Djokovic will play the quarterfinals with Nuno Borges.