Belarusian stars Sabalenka sets sights on Dubai title after Australian Open glory

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Aryna Sabalenka had one dream. The Belarusian, who featured in the popular Netflix documentary Break Point, made a promise to win at least two Grand Slam titles by the age of 25.

Her “biggest motivation” was – and remains – her late father, Sergey, an ice hockey player who tragically died from meningitis in 2019, aged just 43.

The 25-year-old has now achieved that feat following a second successive triumph at the Australian Open last month in Melbourne. But Sabalenka, the current World No2, has no intention of stopping there.

Next up for Sabalenka is an appearance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, recently awarded permanent WTA 1000 status. She lost in the emirate last year to eventual winner Barbara Krejcikova in the quarter-finals, ending a 13-match unbeaten streak in the process. This year, joining a star-studded line-up that includes 17 of the world’s top 20 female players – including World No1 Iga Swiatek, World No3 Coco Gauff, and World No5 Elena Rybakina – she knows she will need to be at her very best to go the distance.

There’s no doubting Sabalenka’s numbers are hugely impressive. Below we’ve listed 10 standout figures that further demonstrate why the Belarusian-born athlete is undoubtedly one of the most formidable players on the women’s circuit.

10 – Sabalenka racked up three WTA title wins in 2020, which in turn secured the first year-end top-10 finish in her career.

9 – The current World No2 reached the semi-final stages in at least nine of the 15 WTA tournaments she participated in 2023 before the WTA Finals (three titles, three finals, and three semi-finals).

8 – The Belarusian is one of only two players in the Open Era to have won her first eight Women’s Singles quarter-finals in Grand Slam events, along with Chris Evert (who won her first 48 such matches).

7 – In 2023 Sabalenka became the first player in 11 years to reach the quarter-finals in each of her first seven tournament appearances in a single year. The other names being Maria Sharapova, Agnieszka Radwanska and Victoria Azarenka.

6 - She’s also now reached the semi-finals, or better, at the last six successive Grand Slams.

5 – Sabalenka is just the fifth woman since 2000 to win the Australian Open without dropping a set in the process. Lindsay Davenport (2000), Sharapova (2008), Serena Williams (2017) and Ashleigh Barty (2022) achieved the same defeat.

4 - She’s only the fourth woman since 1980 to have won the Australian Open in both singles and doubles in their career. Sabalenka won the doubles in 2021 with Elise Mertens before adding singles titles in 2023 and 2024.

3 – The 25-year-old is just the third woman in the Open Era to win their first two Grand Slam titles at the same Grand Slam in back-to-back years. Martina Navratilova (Wimbledon in 1978 and 1979) and Azarenka (Australian Open in 2012 and 2013) also achieved this.

2 – Sabalenka has two Grand Slam titles to her name after recently securing her second successive Australian Open crown in Melbourne.

1 – She’s also the first woman to win back-to-back Australian Open titles since Azarenka (2012 and 2013), and didn’t drop a single set on route to either of her Grand Slam titles.