Sabalenka feels ‘fresh’ ahead of China Open

Four-time Grand Slam champion Aryna Sabalenka revealed on Tuesday that she was feeling ‘fresh’ ahead of her first tournament since losing the world number one ranking to Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina.

Sabalenka spent 99 weeks at the top of the rankings before Rybakina took over the position after defeating Belarusian in the US Open final this month.

Sabalenka has not won a title since March and will finish the year without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2022.

Belarusian made the comments while speaking to the media before beginning her China Open campaign in Beijing.

“This time I feel like, because I didn’t play that many matches, I feel fresh,” the 28-year-old Sabalenka said.

Despite a difficult few months, Sabalenka said her run to the US Open final helped her regain confidence and feel healthier.

“The middle part of the season… didn’t go that well. I struggled a little bit with different stuff.

“At the US Open I started to enjoy tennis again because of being healthy mentally and physically.”

Sabalenka, who withdrew from last year’s Beijing tournament because of injury, is seeded second and will begin her campaign in the round of 64 against either Hungary’s Anna Bondar or Mexico’s Renata Zarazua.

Rybakina is the top seed and will face either Ukraine’s Yulia Starodubtseva or Armenia’s Alina Charaeva.

It is pertinent to mention that last year’s champion Amanda Anisimova will miss the tournament after ending her season early because of a wrist injury.