"I like to play lots of tournaments before the Grand Slam" - Aryna Sabalenka on her preparation for French Open starting with Stuttgart campaign

Aryna Sabalenka is set to kick off her 2024 clay swing at the Stuttgart Open and plans to get as much game time as possible before heading to Paris for Roland Garros.

Sabalenka is the No. 2 seed in the star-studded lineup at the Stuttgart Open, which will feature eight of the top 10 players in the WTA Rankings. The Belarusian has received a first-round bye and will face close friend Paula Badosa in the second round on April 17.

Ahead of her opening match at the Stuttgart Open, Aryna Sabalenka fielded questions in a press conference and was asked about her plans for the clay swing. In response, the 25-year-old stated that her preparation for the clay swing started right after her third-round exit at the Miami Open.

"Well, I mean, I really enjoy playing on clay. Preparation starts straight after Miami Open. After I finish the tournament, I have couple days off and I start preparing for the clay as soon as possible," Sabalenka said.

She added that Stuttgart was a "good place" for her to kick off the clay swing and ease into the change of surface after playing on hard courts for three months. The Belarusian hopes to play many tournaments before going to Roland Garros.

"I think Stuttgart is a good place to start the clay season. You're slowly getting into this kind of like clay mood, I would say, sliding, playing long rallies. I like to play lots of tournaments before the Grand Slam, so I think it's a good one to start with," she added.

Aryna Sabalenka is defending 305 points at the 2024 Stuttgart Open after reaching the final at the WTA 500 tournament last year. She defeated Barbora Krejcikova, Paula Badosa and Anastasia Potapova before losing to Iga Swiatek in the title clash at the 2023 Stuttgart Open.

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Aryna Sabalenka to defend Madrid Open title ahead of French Open 2024

Aryna Sabalenka at 2023 Madrid Open

Aryna Sabalenka is defending a lot of points on the clay swing of the 2024 WTA Tour. In addition to 305 points in Stuttgart, the reigning Australian Open champion has the challenging task of defending her title at the WTA 1000 Madrid Open.

Sabalenka won her second title at the Madrid Open last year and bested Sorana Cirstea, Camila Osorio Serrano, Mirra Andreeva, Mayar Sherif, Maria Sakkari and Iga Swiatek on the way to the title. The Belarusian was awarded 1000 points as a result of her victory.

The World No. 2 built on her success in Madrid to reach her maiden semifinal at Roland Garros. Sabalenka dropped only one set while defeating Marta Kostyuk, Iryna Shymanovich, Kamilla Rakhimova, Sloane Stephens and Elina Svitolina. However, her run was ended by a resurgent Karolina Muchova in the semifinals.