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Aryna Sabalenka lambasted her former coaches in a revealing admission after her third-round win at the 2025 French Open. The Belarusian recalled their discouraging assessments of her and called on them to quit their jobs for the sake of the players they are working with now.
The reigning No. 1 is in red-hot form at Roland Garros. She steamrolled her way past her first and second-round opponents, and it was no different against Olga Danilovic on Friday, May 30. Following her 6-2, 6-3 victory against the Serb, the Belarusian attended a post-match press conference, where she was asked about being pushed by her former coaches.
Without naming any of them, Aryna Sabalenka remembered times when they questioned her intelligence and abilities.
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"It's not about pushing me too hard. I've always been quite motivated, and they didn't have to push me. But I have heard a lot. Saying I'm not smart enough, that I'm stupid and I'll never make it and I don't have anything to make it to the top," the three-time Major champion said.
According to the Belarusian, internally, she laughed off the criticism knowing she would one day ascend to where she is now in tennis. The 27-year-old also asked her ex-coaches to leave tennis coaching for good, claiming this would benefit the players working under their tutelage now.
"I was just laughing and saying 'we'll see.' I guess I want to send a quick message to them to quit their job, because honestly, I think they know nothing and they better quit just to save other players," Aryna Sabalenka concluded.
In 2020, Sabalenka roped in compatriot Anton Dubrov as her coach, and he has remained by her side ever since. Under Dubrov's guidance, she has established herself as one of the most dominant players in contemporary women's tennis and won 14 of her 20 career singles titles, including the 2023 and 2024 editions of the Australian Open and the 2024 US Open.
Aryna Sabalenka's coach Anton Dubrov's 2024 admission on pupil's improvement in 'adapting'
Anton Dubrov has also overseen Aryna Sabalenka's rise to the WTA singles No. 1 on two occasions. She was the top-ranked player briefly in 2023, but reclaimed the position last year and is yet to be dethroned. In November 2024, Dubrov spoke up about what Sabalenka needs to do to stay in pole position and also a key area of improvement he has noticed in her.
"The only thing you can do is your next match. And this is the thing: because you’re No. 1, everyone plays against you like they have nothing to lose. They can play the best game they can do. And you, with all the stress and all this level, you always have to be consistent, or even higher, all the time," Dubrov told Arab News' Reem Abulleil.
"I think, for her it’s about finding the way to adapt to all the situations. She is much better at doing that right now. She understands, even if she’s not at her best level," he added.
At the 2025 French Open, Sabalenka's next challenge is a fourth-round clash against Amanda Anisimova. The American is one of the few players who boasts a superior head-to-head against the No. 1, having won five out of the pair's seven clashes. Their last encounter came in the quarterfinals at last year's Canadian Open, which Anisimova won 6-4, 6-2.
