A "New Voice to the Team": Aryna Sabalenka welcomes Belarusian legend Max Mirnyi to her box

Aryna Sabalenka arrived at the Cincinnati Open with renewed energy after taking a post-Wimbledon break and debuted with a victory against the always-challenging Markéta Vondroušová. The world No. 1 revealed she has added a new coach to her team: her compatriot and former doubles star, Max Mirnyi.

The former player has extensive experience at the top level, with great results in singles but especially in doubles. He reached a career-high individual ranking of world No. 18 in 2003 and had his best Grand Slam performance by reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open in 2002.

However, his greatest achievements came in doubles, with six Grand Slam titles and four other finals. He also had notable results in mixed doubles, winning four Grand Slam titles—two of them with Serena Williams—and a mixed doubles Olympic gold medal, partnering with Victoria Azarenka.

Sabalenka has kept her coaching team steady for many years, with them by her side throughout her rise to the top of the world rankings. The three-time Grand Slam champion has had Anton Dubrov as her coach since 2020, while her physical trainer Jason Stacy has been with her since 2018.

The world No. 1 has always been close to her team, even off the court. Sabalenka had not made major changes to her inner circle for years, but she recently surprised many with the addition of the former doubles star Max Mirnyi, one of the great stars of Belarusian tennis, a multi-Grand Slam doubles champion and former No. 1 in the category.

"He went through difficult situations, he has battled really hard and now he’s enjoying it. I am super happy to see him smiling and helping us," Sabalenka commented in a recent interview with Tennis Channel. "Definitely some work around the net. He also gave me a few tips on the serve, which are really working well so far."

"I hope we are only going to get better on that, and a lot of things. He has been a really great player on singles and in doubles as well, he was a very smart player," she added about her compatriot. "He is bringing a new voice to the team, so that’s also important. I feel like I really enjoy working with him," concluded the Cincinnati Open defending champion.

Sabalenka started her campaign at the Cincinnati Open—where she is the defending champion—on the right foot. This is her first North American hardcourt tournament of the summer. After receiving a first-round bye, she debuted with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over former Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová in a match marked by the 12 break points the Belarusian saved, while she capitalized on the only three break opportunities she had.

After a tough win, she advanced to the round of 32 where she will face another former Grand Slam champion: the 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu. They have two previous matchups, both won by Sabalenka in straight sets.

Their last encounter was just a month ago at Wimbledon, where Raducanu put up a good fight but couldn't overcome her opponent's superior ranking. They will face each other this Monday for a spot in the Round of 16.

Sabalenka recently decided to skip the Canadian Open to take a rest and disconnect after being eliminated in the Wimbledon semifinals. The 27-year-old star must defend her Cincinnati Open and US Open titles in the coming weeks as she remains in the fight for the world No. 1 spot, with Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff closing the gap in recent months.