"I didn't quit during rough times" - Aryna Sabalenka reveals what would make her younger self proud; reflects on being an inspiration for women

Aryna Sabalenka has revealed what her younger self would be proud of today. She also reflected on being an inspiration for women.

Sabalenka, the WTA World No. 2, won her second successive Australian Open title in January. The 25-year-old briefly displaced rival Iga Swiatek to become World No. 1 last year as well. However, things weren't always like this for the two-time Grand Slam winner.

2012 marked Sabalenka's beginning in the ITF Women's Circuit. She made it to the main draws of five tournaments from 2012 to 2014, all of which were held in Minsk, her hometown. However, she failed to win any of those matches during this period. Her first main draw win came at a tournament in Istanbul towards the end of 2014.

In February 2017, Sabalenka made her WTA Tour main draw debut at the Dubai Open as a qualifier. However, she would have to wait until that year's Wimbledon Championships to seal her first WTA Tour main draw win. It was only from 2018 onwards that the Belarusian showed any sort of consistency, which gradually propelled her towards the top of women's tennis.

Recently, Sabalenka answered fans' questions on social media. One of the questions quizzed her about what her younger self would be proud of today.

"That I didn't quit on my dream during rough times." Sabalenka answered in an Instagram Story post.

Aryna Sabalenka's answer to a fan's question on Instagram

Another fan expressed admiration for Sabalenka's confidence and drive, which serve as inspirations for girls and women.

"Happy to hear that! That's a dream to be able to help others," the World No. 2 wrote in her response.

Aryna Sabalenka reflecting on being an inspiration on Instagram

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Aryna Sabalenka suffered a disappointing exit from the Dubai Tennis Championships

Aryna Sabalenka at the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships

Aryna Sabalenka couldn't carry the momentum from her Australian Open triumph into the Dubai Tennis Championships. The World No. 2 entered the tournament as the second seed and as a result, received a first-round bye. Her first match came in the Round of 32 against an unseeded Donna Vekic.

An incredibly tight first set went Sabalenka's way after she won the tiebreak. However, Vekic roared back into the contest and leveled things up by winning the second set 6-3. Astonishingly, the Croatian was utterly dominant in the third set as Sabalenka failed to win even a single game.

After the match, Sabalenka spoke about the tricky conditions in Dubai.

"I feel the conditions here don't fit me well at all. It's really tricky for me to compete here in Dubai. A really tricky court for me," she said (via Sky Sports).