Nearly five years after losing her father to illness, the current AO champion Aryna Sabalenka dropped a heartwarming confession. Sabalenka, who has often revealed how her father was her “biggest motivation“, said that she “just has to keep fighting for” her goals because that’s what her father would have wanted. While the Belarusian WTA star is known for her indomitable spirit and strong personality, she showcased her vulnerability in front of the camera as she wished to spend more time with her father if given a chance to relive her childhood.

Sabalenka made this heartwarming confession when she answered the Tennis Channel’s quirky question. The channel shared a clip on their official YouTube platform, where fans spotted WTA and ATP players roaming around the Indian Wells garden on a golf cart and taking part in the fun Q&A session. Rightly named the “Confessional Cart”, the two-time Grand Slam winner was asked, “If time travel was possible, what time period would you travel to?”  In her response, Sabalenka made everyone emotional by wishing to reconnect with her late father. “It’s going to be a bit sad, I would go back in my childhood and I would just have fun with my father“, she said.

The talented WTA star from Minsk has always been vocal about her father’s contribution to her career. If it wasn’t for her father Sergey, she might not have graced the tennis courts. However, Sabalenka lost her father in 2019 to meningitis at the age of just 43. “I’m just trying to fight because my dad wanted me to be No. 1. “I’m doing it for him so that’s what is helping me to be strong right now,” she said.

Now and again, Sabalenka recalls her father’s contribution to her being a successful tennis player. During the Adelaide International tour in 2o20, Sabalenka said, “It was something unexpected, he was young, he was 43, and I didn’t want to say that but I think people should know, ” she said. Despite holding on to indomitable spirit, this Belarusian WTA star seemed absent-minded during the pre-match sessions and showed no interest in future matches after losing such an important person of her life.

Sabalenka’s closeness with her father was revealed when the WTA star bagged her singles number one rank after defeating Iga Swiatek at the US Open tour’s fourth round. She also received the number one rank in doubles after winning the Australian Open doubles tournament in 2021 with partner Elise Mertens. It was all to fulfill her father’s wish. In an interview with Vogue last year, Sabalenka revealed how her father was one of her biggest supporters. He wanted his daughter to win two Grand Slams by 25. “I just saw how proud he was of me—how he was celebrating every win, every title—and he told me then that I have everything I needed to achieve this goal: I just had to learn myself better, to learn how to control my emotions, and one day I’d be world number one. It was like our dream,” she said.

After winning the Australian Open title for the second time, Sabalenka expressed her sadness as she missed her father very much that day. “He’s my biggest motivation. He’s been everything for me, I just feel that (my father) is always with me and I am very thankful for everything he did for me. I think if not (for) him I wouldn’t be here.” she said.

The Belarusian tennis star blew a kiss towards the sky after winning the Australian Open this year. When she lifted the trophy, emotional Sabalenka said- “I never speak about my family in these speeches but I have to say thank you for everything they’ve done for me, I love you so much, you’re my biggest motivation. I can’t wait to come back.”

Not only her Grand Slams, the Belarusian WTA star dedicated his Qatar Open 2020 trophy to his father, who introduced her to tennis at six.

Emotional Aryna Sabalenka decided to “put everything on tennis” as she revealed “doing it for him”

One year after losing her father to meningitis, Sabalenka won the Qatar Open trophy by defeating former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 6-3 and 6-3. However, post-victory Sabalenka’s statement expressed that she had nothing but her father’s dreams in her mind while she played brilliantly against Kvitova.

“It was a long journey here and I put everything on tennis, I was actually only playing tennis and focusing on tennis and nothing else. And I think I gave everything for tennis. And I just lost my dad in the pre-season and he was my biggest motivation, and I’m doing it for him.” she said post-victory.

Aryna Sabalenka’s emotional confession to the Tennis Channel represents how much she misses her father. Despite fulfilling her father’s wishes like a proud daughter, there are moments when Sabalenka still finds it difficult to come to terms with her father’s demise.