"I'm not afraid of anyone" says Aryna Sabalenka ahead of the Olympics

Sabalenka has been a breakout performer in 2021 winning several trophies including her biggest one at the Madrid Masters. The Belarussian is showing maturity in her game that she did not possess before. That allowed her to enjoy some great success on the tour even breaking somewhat of a mental block at Grand Slams.

Now, ahead of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, she is hoping to win a medal for her country. Speaking to ITF she said:

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"Well it’s my first Olympic Games and I’m really looking forward [to it]. This is something new for me, I would say this is a new challenge for me. I’m really happy to represent my country and my people, and I want to do everything I can to make sure Belarus is proud of me. So it means a lot."

Sabalenka will return to her favoured hard court surface where she enjoyed the most success so far in her career. She hasn't played on hard courts since Miami but her familiarity with the surface should make things easier. About representing Belarus she said:

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“I want to represent my country – a strong people who can fight through everything and that actually means a lot. And I want Belarus people to be proud of me. This is something important for me."

Similar to Barty she too admitted about dreaming of the podium calling it a dream:

“Of course, I dreamed a lot about this (standing on the podium), and I will do everything I can [to] make this dream [come] true. I’m not afraid of anybody.”