Aryna Sabalenka, a renowned name in the professional tennis arena, recently responded candidly to a statement made by Iga Swiatek, who suggested that the Belarusian could potentially be a good tennis coach in the future. While Sabalenka expressed uncertainty about her potential coaching abilities, she did highlight her unique experiences in the mental aspects of the game that could be beneficial for the Polish player.
Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, had previously indicated her openness to employing Sabalenka as a coach someday. This revelation came in the wake of Novak Djokovic’s decision to bring Andy Murray on board as a coach during the offseason. Following this announcement, journalist Reem Abulleil queried various Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) stars about their thoughts on a similar future move.
Of all the responses, Swiatek’s stood out prominently as she singled out Sabalenka as a potential future coach. The 23-year-old Swiatek expressed admiration for the 26-year-old Sabalenka, humorously suggesting that since Sabalenka is older, she would likely retire earlier, making the coaching proposition a feasible one.
During an interactive Q&A session on Instagram, Sabalenka was asked about Swiatek’s comment. With refreshing honesty, she expressed doubts about her coaching skills but didn’t rule out the possibility entirely. She stated, “I’m not sure about that. Probably because of my crazy experience I could help with the mental part of the game…But once again… I’m not sure about that.”
The world number one player, Sabalenka, has previously hinted at an early retirement from professional tennis, possibly by the age of 30. She made these comments during a video for the Australian Open, where she confessed that she was growing older and inching closer to retirement.
Should Sabalenka retire as anticipated, Swiatek’s earlier statement might resurface, leading to increased speculation about the possibility of the Belarusian coaching the Polish player. Notably, Andy Murray was only three months into retirement when he accepted Djokovic’s invitation to coach. Thus, a similar scenario might not be too far-fetched for Sabalenka and Swiatek.
