Aryna Sabalenka believes she is regaining momentum in her game at Indian Wells after a mixed start to the 2025 season.
The world No.1 enters the WTA 1000 event eager to make up for her lackluster performance in the Middle East last month where she won only one out of three matches played across two tournaments. Sabalenka’s duo of early losses were a stark contrast to the start of this year when she won the Brisbane International before reaching the final of the Australian Open.
Sabalenka links the reason behind her roller-coaster results to the emotional impact of her Australian Open run. At the Grand Slam, she was bidding to become the first woman since Martina Hingis to win the trophy for a third consecutive year but was beaten by Madison Keys.
“I’m hungrier than I was in the Middle East,” Sabalenka told reporters on Saturday. “I’d say that the final in Australia was really heartbreaking. It was very difficult to recover after that one, and [in the] Middle East I was kind of like, in my thoughts, I was trying to understand. I was always thinking about that match.”
Sabalenka kicked off her campaign at Indian Wells with a 7-6(4), 6-3, win over McCartney Kessler. The top seed dropped only five points behind her first serve and didn’t face a break point throughout the match.
“It felt like a Grand Slam final — the atmosphere … it was so much fun,” Sabalenka said afterward. “She’s playing incredible tennis, such a tough opponent. Honestly, I was just trying to focus on myself, on staying aggressive, put as much pressure as I could on her, and I’m really super happy that I was able to manage all the emotions and get this tough win.”
It is the 30th win the Belarussian has achieved at WTA 1000 events in the last two seasons. A benchmark that has only been matched by Iga Swiatek who is currently on 36 wins.
Sabalenka will play Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti in her next match.
