Aryna Sabalenka amazes fans at China Open as she says “I love you all” in their native language after 2R win

Aryna Sabalenka's ability to speak Mandarin Chinese was on display when she addressed her adoring fans in Beijing following her second-round victory over Katie Boulter in the 2023 China Open on Tuesday (October 3).

After losing to Coco Gauff in the US Open final and dethroning Iga Swiatek as World No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka is back in the game in Beijing.

Sabalenka began her campaign with a straight-sets victory over Sofia Kenin in a mere 67 minutes in the opening round on Sunday. While she was in for a tougher challenge in the second round, the Belarusian dispatched Boulter 7-5, 7-6 (2) to extend her dominant run.

Despite having a dozen chances to break, the British top player could only capitalize on two, failing to put Aryna Sabalenka under pressure.

Sabalenka will have her hands full in the next round, going toe-to-toe with the 36th-ranked Jasmine Paolini. The Belarusian is currently trailing 1-2 in their head-to-head record.

In an on-court interview following her win over Katie Boulter, Aryan Sabalenka was thrown a curveball by the interviewer, who asked her to speak a few words in Mandarin Chinese. With a little assistance from the interviewer, the Belarusian graciously decided to entertain her fans in Beijing by saying "I love you all!"

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Aryna Sabalenka recalls her funniest and memorable fan encounter in China

2023 China Open - Day 8

Aryna Sabalenka recently revealed her "funniest" and "memorable" fan experience during her time in China. She recounted a time when two women were fighting over her headband and she had to intervene.

“I remember two women fighting for my headband," Sabalenka said. "I was just like, 'Guys, I'll bring you another one next time, just please don't fight.' That was the funniest memorable moment."

She also remembered being dubbed the "Daughter of China," which she found to be cool.

"I remember they used to call me 'Daughter of China.' It was really cool. I liked it," she said (via official WTA website).

Now that she's reached the summit of the WTA rankings, Aryna Sabalenka feels like she's carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. It's something she's not familiar with and is still a work in progress for her.

"I feel like I have a lot of responsibility right now, being No.1. I feel like [I'm] kind of representing the tour. Honestly, it's something new for me and I'm still just trying to understand if it's actually changing anything," the Belarusian said.