Aryna Sabalenka shares her honest feelings about her contrasting on and off-court persona: "I want people to know I'm not crazy"

Aryna Sabalenka recently gave fans a glimpse into her off-court personality following her second-round victory at the 2025 Australian Open. Known for her fiery and intense presence on the court, Sabalenka humorously clarified that she's much more relaxed and approachable off it.

Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, kicked off her title defense in Melbourne with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 win over Sloane Stephens, and followed it up with a 6-3, 7-5 victory ovet Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. This was the World No. 1's 16th consecutive victory at the Australian Open.

As the top-seeded Belarusian tennis star continues her quest for a third consecutive Australian Open title, her recent comments have added a new layer of relatability to her public persona.

During a post-match interview after her second-round triumph, Sabalenka humorously addressed her intense on-court demeanor.

"I want people to know I’m not that crazy off-court. It’s only the on-court Aryna," Sabalenka joked (at 02:32).

"I have to say I’m a nice person off the court… I’m not sure if my team will agree with that. But I’m nice, I promise," she added.

With this victory, Sabalenka advanced to the Australian Open third round for the sixth time, where she will take on Clara Tauson on January 16. The winner of this match will take on either 23rd seed Magdalena Frech or 14th seed Mirra Andreeva.

Aryna Sabalenka aims to achieve a remarkable three-peat by winning the 2025 Australian Open title, thereby joining the elite group of players such as Margaret Court (1969-1971), Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1974-1976), Steffi Graf (1988-1990), Monica Seles (1991-1993), and Martina Hingis (1997-1999).

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Aryna Sabalenka opens up about the one goal she would never set during a match

Aryna Sabalenka during the 2024 China Open (Image source: Getty)

In a post-match press conference after her first-round win against Sloane Stephens at the 2025 Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka shared a goal she would never consider setting for herself during a match.

When asked by Sportskeeda if she ever aimed to win matches while limiting the number of games lost, Sabalenka responded:

"Oh, my God, if I would set these kind of goals, I wouldn't be able to play a match. I would get crazy on myself. So there is no goals like specific games or something. It's just go out there, compete, and do your best."

Aryna Sabalenka also expressed her gratitude for the support she has received from the Melbourne crowd in recent years, noting that the electric atmosphere fuels her motivation to perform.