NEW YORK : World number one Aryna Sabalenka rejected suggestions that off-court appearances had distracted her from her preparations for the U.S. Open after the double defending champion cruised into the third round with a 6-1 6-1 win over Polina Iatcenko on Wednesday.
Sabalenka, who faced similar questions after her first-round victory, bristled when asked whether the events surrounding the tournament had involved too much “parties and fun”.
“You guys are, like, a joke. Parties, fun… like, why would you even say that? Why would you even think about that? What kind of question is that?” the Belarusian said.
“Just because I posted, like, some activities with brands, and you think that I’ve been partying, not training?” she added before ending the exchange.
On court, Sabalenka produced another emphatic performance at Arthur Ashe Stadium and said she was pleased with her focus as she seeks a third consecutive U.S. Open title.
“I’ve been working really hard, but I feel like I’m kind of moving away from trying to be perfect on court,” said the four-times Grand Slam champion.
“I know that you cannot be perfect, and I’m just trying to work with what I have right now.”
Sabalenka is also seeking to avoid ending the year without a Grand Slam title after failing to win a tournament since her Miami Open triumph in March.
The 28-year-old acknowledged she had struggled during the middle of the season but said she had regained both her mental and physical strength.
“I think I struggled a little bit in the middle of the season. Once again, I’m not going to defend myself or explain why, what happened, but I’m happy with my level,” she said.
“I can definitely say that mentally I’m way stronger than I was in the middle of the season, and physically I also feel stronger.”
“I feel like I’m on my level of play, and I just want to bring the right focus on the match every time.”
