SABALENKA DIGS DEEP Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka reacts on a point against USA's Sloane Stephens during their women's singles match on day one of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 12, 2025. Picture: Martin Keep/AFP
Image: Martin Keep/AFP
A battling Aryna Sabalenka credited new a "mental toughness" Sunday for helping her survive an Australian Open first-set wobble that a few years ago might have cost her the match.
The two-time defending champion beat Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-2 in the first round to begin her bid for a historic hat-trick at Melbourne Park.
But the Belarusian did not have it all her own way against the 2017 US Open champion on Rod Laver Arena.
She raced into a 4-0 lead before a series of unforced errors allowed the 31-year-old American to break back twice for 4-3.
"I stepped back, and I gave her a chance to come back in the match," said Sabalenka.
The lapses fired up Sabalenka, who changed her racquet and became more aggressive.
"I'm glad that in that game on 4-3 I stepped in and I was going forward to the net. I think that was the key to get back to this match."
She created a succession of break points before finally converting on the fifth to move 5-3 ahead and then served out to take the set in 38 minutes.
"If I compare myself to even like three years ago, in that moment I would get frustrated and probably would lose the first set. I'm not sure if I would be able to win the match," she admitted.
"I'm really glad that I improved my mental toughness. I'm able to stay focused no matter what the score, what the situation is."
Stephens, now ranked 84th, has a poor record in Melbourne, losing in the first round on four of her previous five appearances.
A double break took Sabalenka to 5-1 in the second set and she completed the win in 1hr 11min.
"I love this place," said Sabalenka, who will next play Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. "Full stadium, I couldn't ask for more.
"It was a tough match, always tough matches against her. It's not like I played my best, but I was glad I was able to close it out in straight sets."
Sabalenka can become the first player since Martina Hingis in 1999 to lift the winner's Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup three years in succession.
If she does, she will join a select group of women comprising only Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Hingis that have completed the Melbourne three-peat.
Sabalenka, who is seeded one at a Grand Slam for the first time in her career, came to Melbourne in fine form, having won the lead-up Brisbane International.
She enjoyed the best season of her career in 2024, where she also won a maiden US Open, four WTA Tour titles, reached seven finals and was named WTA Player of the Year.
AFP