It's a fantastic message for the entire world," Sabalenka moved by the Williams-Sharapova relationship

In the press area in New York, current world number one Aryna Sabalenka reflected on Serena Williams' speech during Sharapova's induction into the Tennis Hall of Fame. According to her, the tennis world should draw inspiration from the relationship the two legends currently share:

"It was truly inspiring. You can see that tennis is just a small part of our lives, and seeing them become so close and become friends is very inspiring. I was moved by both of their speeches. It's a fantastic message for the entire world: on the court, we are opponents and can be quite aggressive, but off the court, we are all kind and friends."

The Belarusian also expressed her desire to see the world's best players come together regularly to offer the public something beyond the competitive aspect:

"I would like to see more entertaining content, more fun things. It would be really nice if these great players did some kind of podcast together, where they would talk about tennis, have fun, and maybe even hang out. Just to show the world that tennis is one thing, but off the court, we are all friends and the atmosphere is really healthy.