Watch out, world! Aryna Sabalenka is about to ace more than just her serve. Sabalenka is absolutely smashing it on the tennis courts, but it turns out there’s one area where she thinks she could use a little help—her speaking skills! Yes, the Belarusian powerhouse, who just wowed everyone at the Cincinnati Open, seems to think her racket does all the talking, but maybe it’s time for her vocal cords to get in on the action too.

Sabalenka engaged in an interview with Tennis Channel after her win over Jessica Pegula at the Cincinnati Masters. The star player delved into her post-match presentation ceremonies. When quizzed about how she manages to deliver interesting addresses and remembers to thank everyone, Sabalenka was left in splits as she revealed her desire to improve her communication skills. 

Speaking at the interview, Sabalenka said, “I think I think I am the worst at speeches. I am the worst. I am getting so tight and nervous. I need to remember everyone, I need to, I need to make sure my English sounds good.” Continuing further, she emphasized that people must understand everything she says and acknowledged that “this is definitely something I have to work on.” Sabalenka’s statement comes just hours after she made a major blunder during her on-court interview after the final match.

Thanking her boyfriend Georgios Frangulis for his constant support, Sabalenka depicted high regard for him. But she made a blunder in the process, although she realized it quickly. “Special thank you to my boyfriends… boyfriend. I said boyfriends, oh my gosh. That’s my terrible English guys.” The incident led to a wave of humor for tennis enthusiasts, not just on the courts, but over social media platforms as well. Hailing from Belarus, Sabalenka and her family are not very comfortable when it comes to English. 

After winning her Australian Open title this year, Sabalenka thanked her parents. But she was quick enough to realize that they might not understand English and pointed the same during the interaction.

“I never speak about my family on the winning speeches before but I have to say thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me,” Sabalenka said. “Should I keep speaking English? Because they’re not going to understand me. Hopefully they’ll translate.” Meanwhile, her professional journey has been spectacular, especially on her latest hard-court campaign. However, Sabalenka does not seem to be satisfied enough!

Is Aryna Sabalenka dissatisfied despite winning the Cincinnati title?

Sabalenka is making her way to the top once again. After clinching the World No. 2 spot, the Belarusian star proved herself on the American hard courts to clinch her 15th WTA title. But despite the sensational win, Sabalenka raised some doubts over her performance.  Speaking after the match, Sabalenka said, “I would say that I’m really playing great tennis.”

However, she claimed that she is still away from playing her best tennis. “Probably not the best tennis I can play but I’m definitely getting there.” But her dominance was well accepted by Jessica Pegula who lost in straight sets 6-3, 7-5. 

Lauding Sabalenka, Pegula acknowledged, “She was playing at a high level and never really came down. When she’s serving really well, it’s tough, especially on these fast courts.” As the season progresses, it would be interesting to see if Sabalenka can reach her best levels. Besides, it would also be fascinating to see if she can make some quick progress with her communication skills ahead of the tournament.