"I realized I was relying on her way too much," Sabalenka reflects on the period when she worked with a sports psychologist
Aryna Sabalenka is the world number one and has been very consistent in major tournaments this year. Fresh off her US Open title win against Amanda Anisimova, the Belarusian also reached the finals at the Australian Open and Roland-Garros, as well as the semifinals at Wimbledon.
Now composed during crucial moments in matches, Sabalenka recently looked back on the time when she consulted a sports psychologist, particularly early in her career.
"I worked with a sports psychologist for four or five years. She had me do meditation or exercises like that. We did a lot of things at the beginning of my career, but I realized I was relying on her way too much.
I expected her to solve my problems, and then I kept making the same mistake over and over again. I started getting frustrated, so I told myself: 'Okay, I need to take responsibility for my actions on the court.'
I stopped working with the psychologist, and that's when I started learning a bit more about myself and began to understand myself a little better. From that point on, I managed to control my emotions better.
Having fought through and managed my emotions the way I did in that final (at the US Open against Anisimova) means a lot to me. I'm really proud of myself right now," Sabalenka shared on Jay Shetty's podcast.
