"It was very difficult to recover": Aryna Sabalenka feels 'hungrier' at Indian Wells after disappointing outing in Middle East

World number one Aryna Sabalenka has stated that she is ‘hungrier’ for success at Indian Wells after disappointing outings in the Middle East. The 26-year-old, who is regarded as one of the best players currently playing in women’s tennis in the singles category, along with the likes of Poland’s Iga Swiatek and America’s Coco Gauff, has had a good start to her time at the Indian Wells where she defeated McCartney Kessler in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-3.

It was an important result for Sabalenka as she came into the competition after suffering a first-round defeat at the Qatar Open and a second-round defeat at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship 2025. The reigning world number one talked to the media after the win in the round of 64, where she stated that she feels hungrier for success at the Indian Wells compared to how she felt playing in the Middle East.

“I’m hungrier than I was in the Middle East,” said Sabalenka. “I’d say that the final in Australia was really heartbreaking. It was very difficult to recover after that one, and [in the] Middle East I was kind of like, in my thoughts, I was trying to understand. I was always thinking about that match. It felt like a Grand Slam final — the atmosphere … it was so much fun. She’s playing incredible tennis, such a tough opponent. Honestly, I was just trying to focus on myself, on staying aggressive, put as much pressure as I could on her, and I’m really super happy that I was able to manage all the emotions and get this tough win.”

Sabalenka is now set to face Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti in the round of 32. She cemented her spot in the third round after beating Poland’s Magdalena Frech in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-5.