What a win indeed for Aryna Sabalenka! The Belarusian sensation has been absolutely unstoppable, and her triumph at the Wuhan Open is yet another shining example of her sheer talent and determination. But Sabalenka knows better than anyone that success doesn’t happen in isolation—it takes a team, and hers has been right there with her every step of the way. In the post-match celebrations, Sabalenka showered her team with heartfelt praise. But in true Sabalenka style, she kept things light and fun, blending gratitude with her signature cheeky humor.

The 26-year-old tennis sensation whisked out local star Qinwen Zheng in the finals of the tournament. Despite dropping the second set, she managed to beat Zheng in a three-setter thriller 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. But despite riding high on success, Sabalenka remembered to thank the pillars of her strength, a major part of which is constituted by her team.

Speaking in the post-match interview, the Belarusian star said, “Thank you my team.” As soon as she made the statement, her team unitedly displayed heart symbols from the stands. Responding to this, she said, “I love them. Um, I really love that we’re together from the very beginning and still ongoing.” She then turned her gratefulness into a cheeky remark and said, “I’m not sure how long it’s gonna be… (laughs).” However, she quickly made a heartfelt promise to her team and wished for their cooperation throughout her career. 

“I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be till the rest, rest of my career. I really appreciate for everything you guys are doing for me for staying strong and handling my crisis on courts sometimes,” the US Open champion added. Aryna Sabalenka’s team consists of some remarkable names from the tennis circuit including the likes of Anton Durbov, who has been working with her since 2020, and Jason Stacy with whom the partnership of the player began in 2018. 

Sabalenka witnessed a similar victory over Qinwen Zheng at the finals of the Australian Open this year. She heaped praises on her team then as well and highlighted the strength she receives from them. “My team gave me a super power: of course, I played a little better here than in the final in Brisbane!” she said. Interestingly, she did not let her humor take a backseat then as well. Continuing further, Sabalenka made a tongue-in-cheek remark and said to her team, “Without you I wouldn’t be here but without me you wouldn’t be like this well done!”

This depicts the strong bond that Sabalenka shares with her team. Besides the on-court achievement, she also shares fun times with her coaching team off the court as well. It is for this reason that she once shared a special desire revolving around her team. 

When Aryna Sabalenka made a special wish for her coach after the US Open victory

Aryna Sabalenka engaged in an interview on the WTA Star Podcast on September 8th, just a day after her US Open victory. Speaking in the interview, she opened up about the celebration plans and made a special wish revolving around her team. “My hopes is going to be a lot of fun a lot of drinks. I hope we are gonna have a lot of fun with the team and I am gonna see my team drunk, atleast for once, I have to see that.” However, she was quick to correct herself.

Sabalenka admitted that she has witnessed some members of her team getting drunk in the past. However, there was one member of the team who seemed to have never lost his sobriety. Sabalenka said, “I never saw Jason drunk, so that’s the goal.” Jason Stacy is the strength and conditioning coach of the WTA star. Despite their long partnership, Sabalenka claimed that she never saw him drunk and that was one of the things on her wishlist. But probably, her wish was fulfilled after the victory. 

In a series of pictures shared by Stacy later on 11th September, he was seen enjoying a fun time with Sabalenka. In one of these pictures, he was pouring a bottle of champagne on her, highlighting the enjoyment the team felt after the grand victory of the Belarusian star. As she wins yet another title in Wuhan, it will be interesting to see if similar celebrations take place for Aryna Sabalenka and her team.