Aryna Sabalenka, the current World No.2 was recently engaged in a viral trend by showing her dancing skills with her team to Pitbull’s ‘Fireball’ ahead of the 2024 Australian Open.
She commenced the season on a high note, making it to the final of the Brisbane International.
She defeated Lucia Bronzetti, Zhu Lin, Daria Kasatkina, and Victoria Azarenka en route to the finals. Unfortunately, her winning streak came to an end as Elena Rybakina defeated her in the championship match.
Aryna Sabalenka & her team dancing their hearts out in Melbourne 😂
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 10, 2024
pic.twitter.com/bt7RhG559r
She has traveled to Melbourne to get ready for the 2024 Australia Open, which kicks off on January 14, with the intention of defending her title. During one of her training sessions, she participated in a dance with her team, including coach Anton Dubrov, as shared on the official Australian Open social media handles. The 25-year-old energetically danced to the beats of the American rapper Pitbull’s song ‘Fireball’ which has gained widespread popularity with a significant number of views and likes.
Her preferred Grand Slam venue seems to be the Australian Open, where she has clinched two out of the three titles, Last year, she won her sole Grand Slam singles title at this tournament and claimed one of her doubles titles here at the 2021 Australian Open. Her other doubles title came at the 2019 US Open.
‘CoCo’ Vandeweghe on Aryna Sabalenka: Navigating the pressure to sustain last year’s success
In a recent episode of the Tennis Channel Live podcast, former American tennis player Coleen “CoCo” Vandeweghe shared her expectations for Aryna Sabalenka‘s upcoming season.
Vandeweghe stated the challenges that the World No.2 will face in trying to replicate her outstanding achievements from the previous year. She acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining such high standards and achieving success consistently.
“I think this is going to be a big task for Aryna to see how she matches the great season she had last year. It’s always difficult to follow up those big results.”
According to Vandeweghe, Sabalenka will face immense pressure through the season, having to defend her points in the tournaments. She further mentioned about being a top player, always having a target on her back, and the constant competition from her opponents.
“It’s never easy defending points. You’re constantly facing a big target on your back, and its always difficult as a top player- the top seed leading tournaments. Everyone is looking to take you out, but I’m excited to see what she brings out in the 2024 season.”
-CoCo Vandeweghe in Tennis Channel live podcast