"They used to call me 'Daughter of China', it was really cool" - Aryna Sabalenka on returning to the country as World No. 1 for China Open

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has spoken about her strong connection to China as she prepares to compete in the 2023 China Open in Beijing.

Sabalenka had a packed schedule earlier in September, making it to her second Grand Slam final at the US Open. However, she could not clinch the title as she lost in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 2-6, to home favorite Coco Gauff.

Following her exploits at Flushing Meadows, the Belarusian has shifted her focus to the 2023 China Open. She is back in the Asian country where she achieved much success, securing four of her first five titles at the 2018 Wuhan, 2019 Shenzhen, 2019 Wuhan, and the 2019 WTA Elite Trophy.

Aryna Sabalenka attended a press conference before kicking off her campaign at the WTA 1000 tournament against Sofia Kenin on Sunday (October 1). She recalled being called the "Daughter of China," which she thought was "really cool."

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

The World No. 1 also shared her "funniest" and "memorable" fan encounter in China. She mentioned an incident where two women were passionately vying for her headband and she had to step in to break up the fight.

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

Now that she sits at the top of the WTA rankings, Aryna Sabalenka feels like she has a lot of responsibilities, almost like she is representing the tour. It is something she is still getting used to.

"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.

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Aryna Sabalenka is the first player in history to win a Grand Slam while competing under a neutral flag

Aryna Sabalenka pictured with her Australian Open trophy

Aryna Sabalenka came back from a set down in the 2023 Australian Open final to defeat Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to win her maiden Grand Slam title in January.

The World No.1 produced some of her best tennis, hitting 51 winners and landing 17 aces in total, to win the match between two of the WTA Tour's most powerful hitters.

With this victory, Sabalenka also became the first player in history to win a Grand Slam while competing under a neutral flag. All Russian and Belarussian players are required to compete in tournaments with no national affiliation due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.