"I hope that people feel closer to me right now": Open and honest Aryna Sabalenka pleased to show ups and downs of being an athlete on Netflix Break Point

World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka will begin her Australian Open title defense in a few days, and the big-hitting Belarusian is hoping her portrayal on Netflix's Break Point shows her in a different light to tennis fans.

Sabalenka defeated Elena Rybakina in three sets to lift the title at last year's event, and reached at least the semifinals of the other three Majors last year. After temporarily holding onto the World No.1 ranking at the end of the year, the 25-year old is looking to improve and show she is capable of winning more Grand Slam titles.

The reigning Australian Open champion was featured on the new season of Break Point, with her activity off the court being one of the highlights. Sabalenka opened up about her decision to follow this path, stating she wanted fans to see the highs and lows of being a professional athlete.

"It was a great time for Netflix to join my team and film it and show people that we are also struggling a lot, that there is not only amazing moments, and we are not only having fun, there is something we are working on and we are struggling with. It’s always up and downs,” Sabalenka explained. “I’m (an) open person. For me, it’s not that hard to speak about my life and just tell my story. For me, was important to share my story with the people. I hope that people feel closer to me right now and they understand myself better.”