World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka may be a three-time Grand Slam champion, but the Belarusian has revealed the harsh treatment she endured from coaches during her early years in tennis, saying she was often insulted and told she would never succeed.
Following her commanding 6-2, 6-3 win over Serbia’s Olga Danilovic on May 30 to reach the fourth round of the French Open, Sabalenka opened up about the damaging culture within the Eastern European coaching system.
“I’ve always been self-motivated—they didn’t need to push me,” the 27-year-old said. “But I heard things like, ‘You’re not smart enough,’ ‘You’re stupid,’ ‘You’ll never make it,’ and ‘You don’t have what it takes.’”
She didn’t hold back in criticizing those who doubted her:
“I just want to send a quick message to them—quit your job. Honestly, I think they know nothing, and they should step away from coaching to avoid damaging other players.”
Sabalenka, who now trains out of Miami, has captured back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2023 and 2024 and claimed the US Open crown last year. Her latest performance at Roland Garros sees her set up a fourth-round clash with 16th seed Amanda Anisimova on June 1.
Reflecting on her current setup, Sabalenka praised the positive environment around her.
“Off the court, it’s so important to be surrounded by the right people,” she said. “I’m really lucky and grateful to have a team that feels like family.”
Comparing coaching styles across regions, the Madrid Open champion highlighted the stark contrast between her upbringing and the approach she sees in other countries.
“In our part of Europe, the coaching culture is really tough. Coaches are often brutal—there’s nothing soft or encouraging about the way they treat players,” she said. “Sure, maybe it builds mental strength, but it also breaks a lot of players. The environment in the U.S. and other parts of Europe is much healthier.”
Despite her strong form, Sabalenka downplayed any talk of being the tournament favorite in Paris, where she has never progressed beyond the semi-finals.
“Let’s leave the pressure on Iga (Swiatek),” she said with a smile. “She’s won it three times in a row, right? I’ll let her take that role.”
Her next opponent, Amanda Anisimova, leads their head-to-head 5–2 and famously defeated Sabalenka in straight sets at Roland Garros back in 2019. The American, now 23, reached the semi-finals that year and is enjoying a strong campaign once again after a third-round win over Clara Tauson.
“Coming back here brought a lot of good memories,” Anisimova said. “Aryna’s one of the best in the world right now. I always enjoy the fight and the challenge she brings.”
