{"id":125069,"date":"2025-09-07T08:01:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T08:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/125069\/"},"modified":"2025-09-07T08:01:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T08:01:09","slug":"sabalenkas-ultimate-triumph-the-battle-of-the-mind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/125069\/","title":{"rendered":"Sabalenka\u2019s ultimate triumph: the battle of the mind"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you had any doubts about tennis being a mental sport, Aryna Sabalenka<\/a>\u2019s journey through the 2025 Grand Slams \u2013\u00a0and perhaps her entire career \u2013\u00a0was a masterclass in the concept. After a blistering start that saw her reach two Grand Slam finals at the Australian Open<\/a> and above all, Roland-Garros<\/a>, she found herself on the losing end, experiencing a humbling taste of self-destruction.<\/p>\n

This could have derailed a lesser competitor, but as the world No. 1 explained in her press conference after winning the final against Anisimova<\/a>, she instead used those setbacks as a foundation. They became a springboard to build a new, unshakable mental fortress, ultimately leading to a successful title defense and a different kind of triumph \u2013\u00a0one of the mind.<\/p>\n

Sabalenka\u2019s journey is a fascinating case study in self-discovery. Tennis fans may recall the 2019-2022 period when she was known for her \u201cemotional volatility\u201d and \u201call over the place in [her] thoughts,\u201d as she put it. She even considered quitting tennis due to her inability to stop a string of double faults.<\/p>\n

\"ArynaAryna Sabalenka, portrait, US Open 2025 | \u00a9 Zuma \/ PsNewz<\/p>\n

\u201cMy own psychologist\u201d<\/p>\n

Her initial approach to these struggles was a familiar one: seek professional help. \u201cI\u2019ve been working with psychologists for four or five years, and she helped me a lot,\u201d she reflected. Her psychologist provided a crucial early framework, instilling the belief that \u201ceverything is possible as long as you put the work in and you dedicate your time life for your dream.\u201d This support system was essential in her formative years on tour, helping her to understand the connection between hard work and success.<\/p>\n

However, as Sabalenka matured as a player and a person, she began to recognize a potential pitfall in this reliance. She felt she was ceding too much control, expecting her psychologist to \u201cfix\u201d her and provide all the answers. \u201cI wasn\u2019t really taking the responsibility over my actions,\u201d she admitted, making the same mistakes and becoming frustrated when the help didn\u2019t provide an immediate solution.<\/p>\n

This realization led to her famous \u201cI\u2019m my (own) psychologist\u201d<\/a> press conference after her semifinal win at the 2023 Australian Open, just two days before her first major trophy<\/a> and some weeks after her decision to stop relying on the therapist. This turning point saw her decide to take full ownership of her mental game, to \u201cfigure it by myself, by like, thinking, like, you know, like analyzing and understanding myself better.\u201d This was a bold and risky move, but one that ultimately proved to be the right one.<\/p>\n


\n \"\"
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Into the Magic shop, her best reading<\/p>\n

The lessons from her two 2025 Grand Slam final losses were particularly acute. After the Australian Open, she initially tried to simply \u201cforget it and move on.\u201d But when a similar outcome repeated itself at the French Open with a very public on-court crisis, she knew a different approach was necessary. \u201cAfter French Open, I figured that: \u2018Okay, maybe it\u2019s time for me to sit back and to look at those finals and to maybe learn something, because I didn\u2019t want it to happen again and again and again.\u2019\u201d This self-imposed moment of introspection was the crucible in which her winner\u2019s mentality was forged.<\/p>\n

During a trip to Mykonos, she found an unlikely guide in a renowned neurosurgeon James Doty\u2019s best-seller memoir, Into the Magic Shop. The book, which she discovered through recommendations from friends, offered a unique perspective on the brain and how to control one\u2019s emotions. It wasn\u2019t a manual of psychological jargon, but a \u201creal story that resonated deeply.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she read, Sabalenka had a profound realization about her previous finals: she had allowed her emotions to take control. \u201cI sort of didn\u2019t expect players to come out there and to fight, you know,\u201d she confessed. \u201cI thought that everything gonna go easily my way, which was completely wrong mindset. I thought that, okay, if I made it to the final, it means that I\u2019m going to win it.\u201d This sense of entitlement led her to underestimate her opponents and lose her focus on the fight.<\/p>\n

\"ArynaAryna Sabalenka, Cincinnati 2025 | \u00a9 Zuma \/PsNewz<\/p>\n

I decided for myself that I\u2019m going to control my emotions.<\/p>\n

Armed with these insights, Sabalenka approached the US Open final with a new set of principles. The goal was no longer just to win, but to master her own mind. \u201cI decided for myself that I\u2019m going to control my emotions. I will not let them take control over me,\u201d she declared. She knew her opponent would be fighting with all her might, and instead of being surprised, she prepared for it. \u201cMy mindset was just going out there. Fight for every point. Doesn\u2019t matter of the situation. Just focus on myself and focus on things that I have to do to win the match.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sabalenka \u201cclose to lose it\u201d<\/p>\n

This newfound control was tested repeatedly during the match, especially at 5-4 in the second set when she missed a smash that would have put her one point away from a 6-3, 6-4 win. \u201cI was really close to lose it,\u201d she admitted. But this time, instead of spiraling, she took a deep breath. She acknowledged the mistake, put it in the past, and reset for the next point \u2013\u00a0and the next few games that were required to win the match. This ability to absorb a setback and immediately move on was a direct result of her mental training.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis victory felt like I had to overcome a lot of things to get this one,\u201d Sabalenka said. The title defense was proof that her hard work had paid off, but the truly satisfying part was the internal triumph. \u201cIt means a lot to defend this title and to bring such a great tennis on court and to bring the fight and be able to handle my emotions the way I did in this final. It just, you know, it means a lot. And I\u2019m I\u2019m super proud right now of myself.\u201d That\u2019s what tennis is all about at the end.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you had any doubts about tennis being a mental sport, Aryna Sabalenka\u2019s journey through the 2025 Grand…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":125070,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[565],"tags":[64,63,85,747],"class_list":{"0":"post-125069","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tennis","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-tennis"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125069"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125069\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}