"I'm addicted to wins, It's just something in my blood" says Aryna Sabalenka as Dubai return looms after Australian Open glory

Aryna Sabalenka returns to competition at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship in her first tournament since winning the 2024 Australian Open title. The Belarusian player was absent this week at the WTA 1000 Qatar Open and is now aiming to continue her winning streak.

The current world No. 2 spoke upon her arrival in Doha, stating that after her second title in Melbourne, she has no intention of slowing down: 'My mindset is to keep doing what I'm doing, keep fighting, keep working,' she said.

At 25 years old, Sabalenka hopes to maintain a high level to compete for all the titles she enters. As she mentioned, she aspires to look back at the end of her career and feel proud of everything she achieves: 'After my career, [I want] to look back and think, ‘Whoa, I was able to achieve that. That's crazy,’' the world No. 2 said.

“I'm not the type of person who is going to win something and stop. Like I said, I'm addicted to wins. I felt like it's just something in my blood and I keep doing, keep working, and hopefully keep winning,” she added.

“It's been an amazing time [since winning in Australia]. I was super excited. We celebrate my win – our win. Yeah, we had so much fun. Yeah, I'm still emotional about that. I think it's the best thing you can ever, ever get. But, as I say, it's already in the past and I need to focus on the next one.”

“Last year it was, like, the first Slam, super excited, new feeling. This year, as a defending champion, it's also kind of like a new pressure. You just try to separate yourself from that pressure.

“At the time you win it, you kind of feel so much relief. Oh, thanks. Yeah, it's easier. OK, I did it. Thanks, God. We're ready to go for the next one.”

The 2-times Australian Open champion has been part of the WTA Tour elite for several years, but before clinching her first trophy in Melbourne, she encountered significant challenges in Grand Slam events, taking 14 participations to advance beyond the fourth round. Many times, Sabalenka appeared erratic in crucial moments, and she now acknowledges the shift in mentality she has undergone: 'I guess I was always searching for something which can help me to control myself better,' said Sabalenka.

“After some years working with a psychologist, I just decided to kind of took the responsibility on myself, just to start to take the responsibility and not wait for somebody to help you fix something,” she claimed.

"At the end the only one thing helping me is just myself, just stop expecting people to fix my problems, start fixing my problems by myself. I think that's brought much more confidence and much more control,” Aryna Sabalenka concluded.