Aryna Sabalenka created history back at the Australian Open in 2023 as she laid her hands on her first-ever grand slam title. After a shocking defeat back in 2022, she wasn’t that confident of clinching the title, but she turned the odds and made it possible. Deep behind her success was an influential figure who stood like a rock and supported her throughout her campaign: her boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov.

In a recent series on Netflix, the Belarusian sensation comes ahead and sheds light on the crucial moment just before the final. At a moment when the nerves were high and the stakes were endless, the simplest piece of advice from her boyfriend paved the way for her first-ever career grand slam.

Could simply ‘enjoying’ be the key to success for Aryna Sabalenka?

As Aryna Sabalenka geared up for the all-important Australian Open final, nerves and fears from the past haunted her. Expressing her worry to her supportive boyfriend, she confessed her fear of a repeat of the previous year’s disappointments. However, Koltsov suggested to her that they had overcome challenges before and, if needed, they would face them again.

He then came ahead and gave the simplest of advice. Relax, enjoy the tennis, and take it one step at a time. “You go again. Just relax and enjoy the tennis that’s it,“ said Koltsov as he assured Sabalenka that she would do well on the grand stage.

Sabalenka then suggested that she does not find joy in tennis unless it is at the grand slams, where she has yet to secure a victory. Her boyfriend then assured her that the Grand Slam title was within reach.

The outcome? Sabalenka’s maiden Australian Open crown. Maybe it was the simplicity of her boyfriend’s advice, urging her to enjoy the sport she loves, that played a crucial role in her victory. In those last-minute discussions, a winning mindset was created.

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Not only her boyfriend but also her trainer played a crucial role in helping Sabalenka win her maiden grand slam. Jason Stacy, who knew that Sabalenka was an emotional person, tried to tackle that situation and helped her win the title.

Sabalenka’s trainer also played a crucial role in helping her clinch the maiden title

In the same documentary, Stacy came ahead and suggested that the former world number one was an emotional person, and as a result, her main job was to manage it. She also tried to change her regular training methods and switched to the new ones to make sure that she progressed with each session.

“Manage all the talk about this curse, all the Instagram posts, and TikTok bullshit. She’s an emotional person; my job is to manage it. This season, our approach has been something new and different. Every chance we get, we try to take a step back, go off-site, and practice so we’re not near all the chaos,” said Stacy in the interview.

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Thus, these were some of the reasons that helped her clinch her maiden grand slam. While she played at her level best, she ensured that she had the right people behind her to support and encourage her.