Aryna Sabalenka Shines at Australian Open, Balances Tennis and Fun with Viral Dance Challenge

During her on-court interview with Jelena Dokic at the Australian Open, World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka delighted the crowd with her lighthearted spirit and her dedication to a fun tradition. Dokic asked Sabalenka about her habit of posting pre-tournament dance routines with her team on social media.

“I’m not the best dancer, but I try my best,” Sabalenka admitted with a smile, as the crowd laughed along after watching her viral dance video replayed on the big screen at Rod Laver Arena.

Dokic playfully noted, “You always dance, but there’s no one in the crowd,” to which Sabalenka sportingly accepted a challenge for an impromptu dance. As the interview wrapped up, Dokic joked, “You just did your cool down, so that was good. But I have to go to the physio.”

Sabalenka’s Stellar Form on the Court

Sabalenka’s charm off the court matches her dominance on it. The reigning Australian Open and US Open champion extended her impressive winning streak at hard-court Grand Slams to 15 matches. Since the start of the 2023 season, she boasts an exceptional 28-1 record at hard-court majors, her only loss being a hard-fought three-set match to Coco Gauff in the 2023 US Open final.

This year, Sabalenka aims to achieve what hasn’t been done in decades: winning three consecutive Australian Open titles. The last woman to accomplish this was Martina Hingis, who triumphed from 1997 to 1999.

Seeded No.1 for the first time at a Grand Slam, Sabalenka is also looking to follow in the footsteps of Ashleigh Barty, the 2022 champion, as the first top seed to secure the Australian Open women’s singles title since then.

Sabalenka’s Dominance in the First Round

In her opening match, Sabalenka faced off against Sloane Stephens, a former Grand Slam champion and the 2017 US Open winner. Sabalenka wasted no time, taking just seven minutes to establish a commanding 3-0 lead. While Stephens fought back to level the set at 4-3, Sabalenka’s powerful return game overwhelmed her opponent.

In the longest game of the match, Sabalenka converted her fourth break point to regain a decisive lead. She wrapped up the match in style, firing 20 winners and breaking Stephens’ serve five times out of 13 opportunities.

With her first-round win, Sabalenka remains undefeated in 2024, holding a flawless 6-0 record. Her next challenge will be against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, a 22-year-old Spaniard who advanced to the second round by defeating Great Britain’s Sonay Kartal 6-1, 7-6(5) in her Australian Open main-draw debut.