Sabalenka looks back on serve issues back at Miami Open: "I wasn't Aryna, I was a depressed little girl"

Aryna Sabalenka recalled a very tough time after the Miami Open in 2022 when she felt really depressed unsure of where her career was heading.

Sabalenka had some memorable moments in 2022 but most of those came in the second part of the year. The first part of the year was filled with bad results and serving issues which left her contemplating stopping tennis for a while. She finished the 2022 season by reaching the finals at the WTA finals in Texas and then won the Australian Open recently.

Recalling the first part of the 2022 season, Sabalenka said:

“After the Miami Open it was really tough. I was all over the place, it wasn’t me, I wasn’t Aryna, I was a depressed little girl. Definitely last year I was like, ‘OK, I will never get it [a Grand Slam trophy].’ It was the moment and it was a really tough period for me. But I’m happy that I got through it and still didn’t lose this belief."

Her next goal is to be number one:

“It’s my first priority, I would say; I really want it."