Sabalanka looking forward to Madrid but is keen to repeat 2023 rather than 2024

Madrid (Spain), April 23 (IANS) Aryna Sabalenka is back at the Mutua Madrid Open hoping to rekindle memories of her title win from 2023, rather than her epic defeat in last year's final against Iga Swiatek. Sabalenka travels to Madrid in good form, despite a recent defeat in Stuttgart, but admitted in a press conference on Wednesday that the clay used in Madrid is not her favourite surface.

"Playing on clay gives you more time to make your shots. But in the past, this has sometimes given me some confusion as I get a lot of ideas, and that leads to mistakes," she admitted.

However, the Belarusian said the surface needed good "physical preparation" and "good tactical intelligence," and consequently, the surface is "the one that allows for improvement in all aspects of the game", reports Xinhua.

Last season saw her lose a dramatic final 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 to Swiatek, and she said that had been "an impressive spectacle," that showed she could perform on clay, but she also commented that her eventual defeat was "very upsetting" and she had "tried never to think about the final from last year."

Sabalenka said she preferred longer tournaments because "having a rest day between matches allows you to be more relaxed, go out to dinner with your team, and explore the city."

She also said that she preferred an automatic line-call system, even on clay, "because there are situations where chair umpires could make mistakes since visible marks don't always match the reality due to the ball's trajectory and speed."

Finally, the top seed addressed the issue of testing positive for contaminated substances, admitting that she was "much more cautious and aware of the dangers," following cases such as Jannik Sinner's suspension.

"I only drink and eat things that I have been able to control to the maximum and that my team provides me, and I am very careful about who I associate with, who I touch, and so on. Someone could have a cream with a banned substance, and it could transfer to my body, so... Yes, it's quite scary," she admitted.

--IANS

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