Aryna Sabalenka was a picture of joy, and rocking some Bridgerton vibes, on Sunday morning as she posed in a punt in the Royal Botanic Gardens cradling the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.
In a Zimmerman lilac blouse and long skirt, satin blue heels and with a smile as wide as the Yarra, the newly crowned Australian Open champion looked comfortable in front of the cameras.
“Ah you know, I like to pose,” the Belarusian star said. “Especially when you’re a grand slam champion.” Incidentally, Sabalenka and her team chose the outfit, the shoes were her own and Tennis Australia scouted for the location.
Aryna Sabalenka at the Royal Botanic Gardens on Sunday.Credit:Getty
In a hard-fought final against the reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, Sabalenka needed four championship points in a tense third set to claim victory on Saturday night.
After a huge first serve resulted in her winning the game, set and championship, she fell back onto Rod Laver Arena in disbelief and tears.
The morning after – following just “a few hours” sleep – she was enjoying her moment in the sun.
“I think I need a few more days to realise. I still feel like I’m on another planet trying to understand what just happened,” she said.
The reason she was there spraying champagne in front of the cameras at 10am, the gripping hitout with Rybakina, suggested the power game is back in women’s tennis.
Both players served at a blistering pace and returned with power and venom.
However, that punch on the world stage could take a knock backwards because, as it stands, Sabalenka won’t be able to compete at Wimbledon, with Russian and Belarusian players banned from the tournament.
“I always love to play there and I’ll be happy to compete there again,” she said.
Did she think her win would put pressure on organisers to reconsider the ban? Sabalenka wasn’t sure. She just wanted to focus on the win.
“I don’t know right now,” she said. “Now I cannot think about that. I’m just trying to enjoy the moment.”
However, in an exclusive interview with The Age before the Australian Open, Sabalenka criticised the ban, saying players had no control over the war in Ukraine, and was disappointed she couldn’t compete in one of the four major tournaments last year.
“This is really terrible because no one supports war – no one,” she said.
“The problem is that we have to speak loud about that … but why should we scream about that in every corner? It’s not going to help at all. We have zero control under this situation.
Aryna Sabalenka with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.Credit:Getty
“I’m just really disappointed sport is somehow in politics. We’re just athletes playing their sport. That’s it … If all of us could do something, we would do it, but we have zero control.
“They banned us from Wimbledon, and what did it change? Nothing – they’re still doing this, and this is the sad [part] of this situation.”
Sabalenka also said having to compete under a neutral flag at the Australian Open made her feel like she was “from nowhere”.
The ban means fellow heavy-hitter and Belarusian player Victoria Azarenka, who made the semi-final this year at the Australian Open, also won’t be able to compete, along with prominent players Daria Kasatkina, Veronika Kudermetova and men’s headliners Karen Khachanov, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev.
For now, Sabalenka was focused on celebrating her maiden grand slam title.
“I think it’s the best morning of my life. It’s so beautiful,” she said.
After admitting she used to find it strange people would ask for her signature, thinking she was “a nobody” without a world title to her name, she has a newfound respect for herself.
She had previously battled and overcome the serving yips and self-doubt, despite possessing one of the most powerful games in women’s tennis.
“I just feel a little bit more respect for myself right now.”
She has arrived a grand slam champion – in a punt on Ornamental Lake.
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