Aryna Sabalenka funnily stated that it couldn’t go without her cursing after a slow start to her Indian Wells match against Sonay Kartal but was glad that it helped her get rid of an early frustration and ultimately seal a convincing win.
In the opening match of the game, the world No. 1 made a couple of mistakes and got broken by the British lucky loser after winning only one point in that game. That made the 2023 Indian Wells runner-up annoyed instantly and she was heard dropping curse words in her native language.
Sabalenka getting frustrated early on turned out to be a good thing for the Belarusian, who then got serious and won the next 10 games to go 6-1 4-0 up before completing a 6-1 6-2 win.
“It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t curse a little bit after that first game, but I just felt I had to let it go and start everything over again,” the three-time Grand Slam winner said.
Aryna Sabalenka after beating Sonay Kartal at Indian Wells
“It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t curse a little bit after that first game.” 😂
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) March 12, 2025
Sabalenka dismisses the notion that she hasn’t been tested in Indian Wells so far
So far in the desert, the top seed faced only one top-50 player and it’s McCartney Kessler, whom she beat 7-6 (4) 6-3 in the first round. Besides the Kartal and Kessler wins, the Belarusian also demolished world No. 62 Lucia Bronzetti 6-1 6-2.
Ahead of facing No. 24 seed Liudmila Samsonova in the quarterfinal, Sabalenka was asked if she felt she hadn’t been tested enough. And she didn’t seem to appreciate that question match.
“I’m not the only one who had straightforward matches. What are you trying to say (smiling)? You know, it’s tennis. Especially women’s tennis. Like anything can happen. Score looking easy but the match wasn’t easy. I think I had enough time on court, and I think I’m ready for that quarterfinal match,” the world No. 1 said.
Tennis World USA