"Before I was so closed and I was afraid to open up": Paula Badosa friendship brought Aryna Sabalenka out of her shell
WTATuesday, 30 January 2024 at 07:00
After successfully defending her title at the 2024 Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka opened up on her personal life, including her friendship with Spaniard Paula Badosa.
Sabalenka defeated Qinwen Zheng in the final on Saturday to lift her second career Grand Slam title, plowing through the opposition without dropping a set in the entire tournament. Already a fan favorite, the Belarusian stole the hearts of even more fans with her quirks and dances during the two-week event.
Badosa shares similar traits, says Sabalenka
The World No.2 was quick to admit she had been too emotional in the early parts of her career, but has since made several personal improvements that have helped her in her professional and personal life.
“I would say that I’m more open right now. I’m happy that I was able to build some friendships, like with Paula,” she told WTA Insider. “Because before I was so closed and I was so afraid to open up to people. I’m happy that I have such a friend like Paula. She’s the best. I love this girl. I think we’re kind of similar.
“And it’s not like I wasn’t respecting people before, but I respect everyone more than I used to. I cannot ignore the fact that I’m really proud that I was able to understand myself better. I have this control of myself. That’s quite an obvious thing. Everyone sees that, but it’s really tough to improve when you’re such an emotional person and you’re used to getting super emotional every time. To actually become really in control on court, it’s really tough work.”
“And it’s not like I wasn’t respecting people before, but I respect everyone more than I used to. I cannot ignore the fact that I’m really proud that I was able to understand myself better. I have this control of myself. That’s quite an obvious thing. Everyone sees that, but it’s really tough to improve when you’re such an emotional person and you’re used to getting super emotional every time. To actually become really in control on court, it’s really tough work.”
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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- This article is SPOT ON!!!Rapunzel04-09-2026
- This article is SPOT ON!!!Rapunzel04-09-2026
- Is there no one in Pro Tennis willing to give this one some form of intervention before she crashes??
mandoist04-09-2026 - Double Standards for the male players? Gross. BTW: This "apology" reads like the one his lawyers wrote for him when he had to go to the Kangaroo Court for slapping his girlfriend around.mandoist04-09-2026
- From Day One, legalizing Sports Betting was never going to end well (for The Sport... not just the thousands who lose their livelihoods and bank accounts). We're not even close to the end of the damage this is causing.mandoist03-09-2026
- From Day One, legalizing Sports Betting was never going to end well (for The Sport... not the thousands who lose their livelihoods and bank accounts). We're not even close to the end of the damage this is causing.mandoist03-09-2026
- In her defense... she has no "defense" and likely could not articulate it if she did.mandoist03-09-2026
- Someone is not enjoying her gradual slide down the rankings, which became noticeable last season. BTW: That reporter's on to something familiar -- the effects of Social Media Stardom on one's Second Priority (Tennis). Shades of Bouchard, Giorgi, Raducanu, etc.mandoist03-09-2026
- Sabalenka seems so unhappy. When you get angry after every mistake you make on court, you’ve got some issues sweetie! She also does seem to be “partying” a lot if you follow her social media (I don’t lolol). Very immature personality.DaveyWavey03-09-2026
- The main difference for bigger names like Alcaraz, Sinner, Zverez, etc. is that they usually make it to the later stages of tournaments while 99% of the other players win a round or two and then move on to the next tournament. The bigger names are playing more, playing longer and therefore more injury issues. The money is great but it all comes with a price!DaveyWavey03-09-2026
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