"I would just have fun with my father" - Aryna Sabalenka reveals "sad" wish to return to her childhood in response to time travel question

Aryna Sabalenka was recently asked what she would do if there was a way to time travel. In response, she expressed her desire to return to her childhood and spend precious moments with her father, Sergey, who passed away in 2019 due to meningitis complications.

Sabalenka recently completed her North American hard court swing with some brilliant results under her belt. She kicked off the swing at the 2024 Mubadala Citi D.C. Open, reaching the semifinals before falling to eventual runner-up Marie Bouzkova.

Following that, the former World No.1 competed at the Canadian Open, where she made it to the quarterfinals before being defeated by eventual runner-up Amanda Anisimova. She then claimed the title at the Cincinnati Open by defeating Jessica Pegula in the final.

At the 2024 US Open, Aryna Sabalenka secured her first US Open title and third Grand Slam title overall by defeating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in the final. Throughout the tournament, she dropped just one set and defeated players like Priscilla Hon, Lucia Bronzetti, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Elise Mertens, Zheng Qinwen, and Emma Navarro on her way to the championship match.

Recently, Tennis Channel shared a clip of Aryna Sabalenka talking about a hypothetical time travel scenario. The former World No.1 expressed her "sad" wish to travel back to her childhood and spend quality time with her late father, Sergey.

“If time travel was possible, what time period would you travel to? I would... ahh it’s going to be a bit sad. I would go back to my childhood and I would just have fun with my father,” Sabalenka said.

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Aryna Sabalenka: "After I lost my father, it's always been my goal to put our family name in the history of tennis"

Aryna Sabalenka [Source: Image Getty]

While speaking to the press after winning the 2024 US Open by defeating Jessica Pegula in the final, Aryna Sabalenka expressed that it has been her dream to put her family name in the history books of tennis, one she has harbored since she lost her father, Sergey, in 2019.

Sabalenka said she was happy and "proud" of herself for winning titles and getting her family name on the trophies.

"After I lost my father, it's always been my goal to put our family name in the history of tennis. And every time I see my name on that trophy, I'm so proud of myself," Sabalenka said.

The Belarusian credited the support she received from her family for enabling her to pursue a career in tennis and achieve her goals.

"I'm proud of my family that they never gave up on my dream. And that they were doing everything they could to keep me going. And so I had this opportunity in life . So it really means a lot," she added.

With an impressive track record this season, Aryna Sabalenka has secured a spot in the upcoming 2024 WTA Finals, which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from November 2 to 9. This will mark her fourth consecutive appearance in the singles competition at the event.