After securing her first victory in Cincinnati, the Belarusian spoke about how she is feeling on the courts after recovering from a shoulder injury that kept her out in London.

Aryna Sabalenka returned to the courts of the WTA Cincinnati Open with a solid victory against the Italian Cocciaretto, a first-round that is never easy to face at this point in the season.

Let’s remember that the Belarusian returned to the courts at the beginning of August, without going through the Olympic Games’ clay and following a recent shoulder injury that prevented her from competing at Wimbledon. Since then, Sabalenka has put in a great effort in rehabilitation, so every victory since then matters.

In Toronto, she couldn’t get past the quarterfinals, but she hopes to reach her peak level in the United States and approach the US Open in the best way possible.

However, one must take it step by step, now thinking about her next match against Elina Svitolina. In an interview for Tennis Channel, the Belarusian talked about how she felt in this initial contact with the American courts and how different they are compared to the conditions in Australia, where she has been performing well lately. She also mentioned what she has been doing since her injury kept her out of the London Grand Slam and how well that time served her to disconnect.

– How did you feel in your first match in Cincinnati?

“I definitely felt a bit better than in the previous matches I have played so far, and I’m very happy with the level I played at those key moments, in those tough moments. Overall, I’m very happy with this victory.”

– Frustrated about something?

“Honestly, no. I would say I had many break opportunities and didn’t take advantage of most of them, which was a bit frustrating today, but I was just trying to maintain focus, concentrate on my serve, and make sure that I put all the pressure I could in the return game, just trying to fight for every point.”

– Are the conditions much different from Australia?

“Yes, I would say it’s completely different. I’ve mentioned before that the courts in the United States are much faster, and it’s a bit different; you feel a slight difference in the ball. Actually, it’s a big difference. In Australia, everything is very slow, the balls bounce high, and they feel much heavier than here. So yes, you have to make a couple of adjustments.”

– Have you been living your best life since missing Wimbledon?

“I wouldn’t say so. It was very tough to get injured and not be able to compete at Wimbledon. I was well-prepared to go, but unfortunately, that’s how it goes. I went through a lot of rehabilitation, and even though it might seem like I had a vacation life, almost half of the day was spent on treatments and rehab exercises, many things to make sure this doesn’t happen again. But yes, I had a couple of days where I really enjoyed myself and tried to separate from tennis and to accept that I was injured and couldn’t compete. It was a kind of rehabilitation and, at the same time, I could enjoy my life.”

– Taking time to disconnect

“I think it was very necessary to take a break, spend some time with myself, and realize many things. Probably things happen for a reason, and I suppose my reason was to disconnect and relax a bit.”

– What are you looking for in Cincinnati?

“I would say I would be happy if I feel that fighting spirit on the court and if I feel that no matter what happens, I am able to be there, to stay focused, not get distracted and fight for every point no matter what happens. And to regain that calmness on the court.”