(VIDEO) Aryna Sabalenka's new bizarre pre-match ritual confirmed after fitness coach spotted with signed head: "He’s not happy with that"
WTASunday, 21 January 2024 at 10:29
Aryna Sabalenka is through to the Quarter-Finals during her title defence at the 2024 Australian Open, but while her performance against Amanda Anisimova whom she defeated 6-3, 6-2 after a previous barren 4-1 Head to Head deficit was eye catching so was her fitness coach, Jason Stacy having his head initially mooted as a tattoo but now confirmed as signed by the former World No.1.
Sabalenka revealed in her post match interview when quizzed that she was signing Jason Stacy's head before each match of her title defence which he wasn't too pleased about apart from it getting results as she has thrashed Ella Seidel, Brenda Fruhvirtova and Lesia Tsurenko and then took down Anisimova. So it seems this tradition will roll on for some time yet.
“We just like to do weird s***, guys!," she said post match. “We just started this. I did it before the first match, and after I won, I told Jason, ‘Well, I guess it’s a routine right now.’ He’s not happy with that but he understands everything.”
But it is a team that has kept Sabalenka in check and Stacy himself appeared on Break Point earlier this month discussing how he likes to keep her calm amid everything going on at a Grand Slam. “At a Slam, there’s a lot of background noise,” Stacy said. “You have to find a way to turn the volume down a little bit…She’s an emotional person, [and] my job is to manage it.” He will have his head signed again though as Barbora Krejcikova awaits in the next round.
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