Arina Sobolenko Had Some Harsh Words For Her Team

A Belarusian tennis player shared how she copes with stress.

Belarusian world No. 1 Arina Sobolenko got off to a strong start at the WTA-1000 tournament in Cincinnati, and after the match, she shared her thoughts on her form and talked about the atmosphere within her own team.

After her victory over Talia Gibson, the athlete admitted that she was very tired—but not from the tennis itself, rather from the weather. Temperatures in Ohio are currently exceeding 30 degrees Celsius.

“I’m so glad I was able to finish the match in two sets, because otherwise I don’t know how I could have stayed in shape for so long in this crazy heat,” the tennis player said, as quoted by the website puntodebreak.com.

Sobolenko admitted that these conditions are very different from her vacation on the Greek island of Mykonos, memories of which still warm her heart.

“It was amazing. To be honest, I really needed that. We spent time with friends, had a great time, swam a lot, jumped off the boat, had a few cocktails, went to beach clubs, and danced. I really needed to take my mind off the difficulties that had been weighing on me,” she said.

Sobolenko headed to the island after her loss at Wimbledon. However, even after her vacation, she wasn’t immediately able to return to top form—the Belarusian lost to Ekaterina Aleksandrova at the tournament in Toronto. But during that time, the world’s No. 1 player graced the cover of Time magazine.

“This is a very important event. It was a fantastic experience: first, talking with the journalist, and then the photo shoot itself. I enjoy working with different photographers and seeing myself in different looks. It was a lot of fun—the photos were very bold and vibrant, and I really enjoyed them,” Arina shared.

In a conversation with reporters, the tennis player also touched on the topic of relationships within her team.

“If I see that my team starts criticizing me too harshly, I think it will lead to a big argument. It won’t be a good one. Every player processes information in their own way. Early in my career, I was heavily criticized, and I grew up in that kind of environment,” Sobolenko admitted.

According to her, the communication dynamic with her current team is different.

“Today, we prefer to discuss what’s happening, assess the situation from a long-term perspective, and make adjustments. In tough times, we bond, have fun, throw a barbecue, and try to relax a little, because the pressure is immense. I think my secret to overcoming such major challenges is communication and having fun,” the tennis player concluded.

In the third round of the Cincinnati tournament, Sobolenko will face China’s Wang Xinyu, ranked 36th in the world—the match will take place on the night of August 19, Belarusian time.

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