Title Time

Aryna Sabalenka already plays tennis like a champion. Now, she’s trying to think like one

- Ed McGrogan

After prevailing in sweltering conditions on a side court at last year’s US Open, Aryna Sabalenka met with a handful of journalists in a nondescript corner of the tournament’s media center. The 20-year-old was running late for her interview, and she apologized for her tardiness.

When the interview began, it was as if Sabalenka was catching up with old friends. Unprompted, she told the gaggle where she was staying in Manhattan and her review of the previous night’s dinner. She let us in on her upcoming shopping and sightseeing plans. Laughs were plentiful in this decidedly informal setting.

“I was like, what the f--- is going on?” Sabalenka casually dropped, referring to a framed lob from her opponent that caught the baseline.

When the chat was over, Sabalenka kindly asked one of the journalists where she should go to next—this experience was completely new to her. There were no handlers or tournament staffers shadowing her every move; it was pure Sabalenka.