Sabalenka playfully jabs at her sponsor Nike with humor: "Maybe we should put pressure on them!"
Aryna Sabalenka dominates women's tennis, but that's still not enough for Nike. "Nothing special for me next season," she shared, half-amused, half-bitter. A surprising admission from someone who has just completed a second consecutive year at the top of the WTA rankings.
For the second year in a row, Aryna Sabalenka finished the season as the world number one, proof of her unwavering consistency.
The Belarusian, although defeated twice in Grand Slam finals (the Australian Open and Roland-Garros) and in the WTA Finals championship match, demonstrated her superiority over the rest of the tour by winning a second US Open and also two WTA 1000 titles (Miami and Madrid).
Performances that, logically, should earn her custom outfits from her sponsor Nike. Yet, this is still not the case, as she herself admitted during a press conference in Riyadh last week:
"Unfortunately, there will be nothing special for me next season. Maybe we should send messages to Nike, put pressure on them. We'll do that. But let's wait for 2027, because that year will be awesome."
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Because the west still cannot stand an eastern European number one.
Because the west is racist and discriminatory towards eastern Europeans.
If you were an American black, it would work great. Special treatment, huge bonuses, custom outfits, huge brand and marketing behind you. But you're not. You're a worthless eastern European.