“Birthday twin and US Open trophy twin. May 5th must be a really lucky birthday…” Aryna Sabalenka joked in a post with Carlos Alcaraz back in September. The two World No. 1s have been unstoppable this season. Alcaraz racked up eight titles, including two majors, while Sabalenka claimed four trophies and reached five finals. Impressive on its own, but there’s something else about this duo that’s left everyone in awe.

On the latest episode of Courtside Conversations, shared via Roland Garros’ Instagram, British journalist Gigi Salmon and former World No. 11 Alizé Cornet discussed how players maintain a healthy mindset in tennis, and how the mentality of the current ATP and WTA No. 1s impressed them deeply.

“What I love about her is her attitude, the blend and the balance between fighting hard and then stepping away from tennis,” Salmon said about Aryna Sabalenka‘s mindset. And Cornet couldn’t help but agree! She added, “She seems very balanced. I agree with you. It feels like she’s the new generation of tennis players that also take care of their mental health and not only of their career and professional career. It feels like she wants to win more than anything in the world, but she also wants to be happy.”

True to her word, the Belarusian has made all the right moves to stay fit this season. After the US Open, Sabalenka made a bold call to skip most of the Asian swing due to an injury she picked up during her title run at Flushing Meadows. She returned only for the Wuhan Open, where she reached the semifinals. Later, she competed at the WTA Finals in Riyadh and fought her way into the final.

After losing to Rybakina in Riyadh, some might have expected her to jump straight back into training. Not Sabalenka. She quickly switched into holiday mode and headed for a beach escape in the Maldives. But is her approach the right one?

“I think that’s a very healthy approach to tennis,” Cornet admitted. “This era of players that have been suffering and living only for tennis and sacrificing everything is over. Now we have these players that give everything to their sport but also want to have a healthy life aside.” Carlos Alcaraz earned similar praise for his attitude.

As Alize pointed out, “It’s funny because we have the same thing in the men’s with Carlos Alcaraz, enjoying himself, going to Ibiza, and being also a young man who wants to live sometimes because there is a lot of sacrifices and compromises, but there can be also some fun moments.”

It’s a refreshing contrast to their fierce, serious sides on court. Both Carlos and Aryna play aggressive, fearless tennis. They strike the ball with a mix of power and finesse that few can match. Yet off the court, they seem grounded and easygoing. They prioritize peace over pressure, showing that calm can fuel greatness. But is it always that easy for them?

Alcaraz backs up Aryna Sabalenka over schedule woes

The tennis tour’s relentless schedule is a tale as old as time. Grand Slam champs like Iga Swiatek haven’t held back: “When I look at the schedule, I think we’re playing too much, and the schedule is crazy,” she said earlier this year. Players like Coco Gauff, Alcaraz, and now Aryna Sabalenka have all echoed the same frustration, making it clear: the grind is real.

Fresh off his Paris Masters arrival, Carlos Alcaraz had to speak up: “Well, I don’t have an exact amount of matches that we should play,” he said at his presser. “But obviously they have to do something with the calendar.” He pointed out the lack of rest, practice, and proper prep: “It’s week after week after week and we don’t have the chance to have a week just to prepare pretty well the tournaments or what we have ahead in the season.”

Aryna Sabalenka has been especially vocal. “The scheduling is crazy, it’s really tough to handle,” she said last week. “We definitely have to do something about that because if you play at a high level and if you go far in the tournaments, at some point your body is gonna give up.”

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She knows from experience: “Last year I suffered from a shoulder injury and I had to pull out from Wimbledon, which has never happened to me before, and I feel like it’s all because of the tight scheduling and not enough time to recover my body.” Her warning is a wake-up call for everyone.

For now, the 2025 season is wrapping up with just a few exhibition matches left. Sabalenka will face Nick Kyrgios at the Battle of the Sexes in Dubai on December 28, while Carlos Alcaraz is heading to the States for a clash with Frances Tiafoe in New Jersey on December 7 and a showdown with young Brazilian Joao Fonseca in Miami the next day. But not long before they’ll be back for 2026! Will they return with even more World No. 1 energy and chase more titles? Give us your take in the comments below!