World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka shared her thoughts after reaching her maiden Roland Garros final. In the semifinal, she defeated the reigning champion Iga Swiatek with a score of 7/6(1), 4/6, 6/0.
Reflecting on her journey, Sabalenka stated, “All my life people told me clay wasn`t my surface, and I lacked confidence in my game on it. But now the confidence is there, and I feel I can beat anyone.”
She attributed her improved performance on clay to dedicated work: “Specifically for clay, I worked on my speed, fitness, spin, and shot variety, which has helped me significantly. Now, I feel capable of moving forward effectively and defending from the baseline.”
In the upcoming Grand Slam final, Sabalenka is set to face American Coco Gauff.
Marcus Prine