Aryna Sabalenka gets honest about how she recuperated after tiring 2024 season

Aryna Sabalenka recently talked about her recovery process after a tiring 2024 season. The Belarusian ended the year as the World No. 1 while clinching the Australian Open, the Cincinnati Open, the US Open, and the Wuhan Open.

Sabalenka kicked off her 2025 season in Australia at the Brisbane International and will look to improve upon her runner-up finish in 2024 when she lost to Elena Rybakina in the final.

This year, the World No.1 is the top seed at the WTA 500 hard court tournament in Queensland. Sabalenka started her campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye and defeated Renata Zarazua 6-4, 6-0 in just over an hour to advance to the third round.

During the post-match interview, Aryna Sabalenka talked about her recovery process and said that after the 2024 season, returning home to Florida and sleeping in her own bed, rather than the usual hotel rooms, felt "amazing."

“I had some time off. I went back to Florida, slept in my bed which was amazing. I was really tired from the hotels every week. Had some time off but honestly after such an intense season I felt like I could rest for another month,” Sabalenka said.

Sabalenka also humorously confessed that she was so well-rested after the exhausting season that she missed her flight to Brisbane, resulting in her team having to book another plane ticket.

“My team was calling me trying to reach out, to make sure I got to the plane on time. Actually I was late for the first plane. For real. I thought I was flying out tonight but it was actually in the morning. I was like ‘Ok guys I think we need another ticket’. It was quite a funny moment . I was like ‘Ok, whatever. An extra day off. Thank you,’” she added .

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Aryna Sabalenka will face Yulia Putintseva at the 2025 Brisbane International 3R

Aryna Sabalenka at the 2025 Brisbane International [Image Source: Getty Images]

Aryna Sabalenka will face 15th seed Yulia Putintseva in the third round of the 2025 Brisbane International on Thursday, January 2. Putintseva earned her spot in the third round after defeating McCartney Kessler 6-2, 7-5.

Sabalenka and Putintseva have met twice on the WTA tour, with each player claiming victory once. Their most recent encounter took place in the third round of the Wuhan Open, where the Belarusian emerged victorious with a score of 1-6, 6-4, 6-0 before going on to win the title by defeating Zheng Qinwen in the championship match.

After the Brisbane International, Aryna Sabalenka is expected to compete in the 2025 Australian Open. She is the two-time defending champion, having won it in 2023 by defeating Elena Rybakina in the final before successfully defending her title by besting Zheng Qinwen the following year.