Aryna Sabalenka had one dream. The Belarusian, who featured in the popular Netflix documentary Break Point, made a promise to win at least two Grand Slam titles by the age of 25.
Her “biggest motivation” was – and remains – her late father, Sergey, an ice hockey player who tragically died from meningitis in 2019, aged just 43.
The 27-year-old has now achieved that feat following a second successive triumph at the Australian Open last month in Melbourne. But Sabalenka, the current World No2, has no intention of stopping there.
Next up for Sabalenka is an appearance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, recently awarded permanent WTA 1000 status.
She lost in the emirate last year to eventual winner Barbara Krejcikova in the quarter-finals, ending a 13-match unbeaten streak in the process.
This year, joining a star-studded line-up that includes 17 of the world’s top 20 female players – including World No1 Iga Swiatek, World No3 Coco Gauff, and World No5 Elena Rybakina – she knows she will need to be at her very best to go the distance.
There’s no doubting Sabalenka’s numbers are hugely impressive. Don’t miss your chance to see Sabalenka and co in action in Dubai from February 18-24, with tickets for both the women’s WTA tournament and the men’s ATP event available to purchase at www.dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com.