"I'm my own psychologist... nobody will help" - When Aryna Sabalenka sent bold message about why stopped working with mental health specialists

Aryna Sabalenka has transformed her approach to tennis over the past few years, and it has paid off, earning her three Grand Slams among other accomplishments. Perhaps one of the boldest decisions she made along the way was to stop working with a sports psychologist.

Sabalenka reached her first Major final at the 2023 Australian Open, where she faced off against fellow hardcourt specialist Elena Rybakina. Making the most of her opportunity, the former came from a set down to defeat her opponent 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and lift the prestigious Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.

Before her match against Rybakina, the Belarusian made a surprising admission that she had stopped working with a sports psychologist during the pre-season. She explained that she felt it was time to take charge of her own mindset, believing that no one could help her more than she could help herself.

“To be honest, I decided to stop working with a psychologist. I realized that nobody than me will help, you know?” Aryna Sabalenka told the reporters.

“Yeah, on the pre-season I spoke to my psychologist saying, like, Listen, I feel like I have to deal with that by myself, because every time hoping that someone will fix my problem, it's not fixing my problem,” she added.

The World No. 1 continued:

“I just have to take this responsibility, and I just have to deal with that. Yeah, I'm not working with a psychologist any more. I'm my own psychologist (laughter).”

Sabalenka has a solid team by her side to support her through every challenge. Her circle includes coach Anton Dubrov, fitness coach Jason Stacy, her boyfriend Georgios Frangulis, and a few others.

About the author

Pritha is one of the driving forces behind Sportskeeda's tennis & baseball coverage, serving as an assistant content manager and editor. What began as a casual escape from her tiring biotechnology degree course in early 2022 has blossomed into a passion she loves, cherishes, and breathes every day.

Pritha’s love for the sport was spawned by her dad who showed her clips of "GOAT" Steffi Graf’s matches. Despite a thwarted dream of playing professionally due to injury, she finds solace in reporting the sport, while also mentoring other writers to ensure every article is error-free and top-notch. She double checks credible sources, such as the tournament/player handles and big tennis media outlets, and gives proper credit where required.

Pritha's journey at Sportskeeda is marked by nearly 2000 articles and close to 12 million views, with the "dream-come-true" moment of having her article shared by Chris Evert serving as a highlight of her career. A lifelong Wimbledon fan, Pritha also adores Rafael Nadal, Elena Rybakina, and Naomi Osaka.

When she's not seeking unique angles to elevate tennis coverage at Sportskeeda, she loves to channel her inner astrophysics "nerd" by exploring new sci-fi series and movies. A big Lionel Messi, Lewis Hamilton, and Randy Orton fan, she is always ready to engage in sports conversations anytime, anywhere, albeit not without a cup of coffee.

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Edited by Pritha Ghosh