The 2021 Australian Open is just over a week away, and there is a Belarusian player fans will have to keep an eye on as the tournament progresses. You would think I would be talking about 2012 and 2013 Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka of Minsk, who made headlines in 2020 for reaching the final of the U.S.Open.
There is another Belarussian star fans will need to watch closely. At 22 years of age, Aryna Sabalenka, also of Minsk, was possibly the very best female tennis player in the short fall season after the French Open. Then she continued her strong play into 2021.
Sabalenka has won the last three tournaments, and is now an impressive seventh in the world with 4580 points. That is 1154 WTA points more than Azarenka, who is 13th in the world with 3426 points.
Sabalenka was victorious at a Premier event in Ostrava, Czech Republic in October. There she defeated Azarenka 6-2, 6-2 in an all-Belarusian final. Sabalenka also beat Americans Coco Gauff and Jennifer Brady in the tournament. Brady had an excellent run at the 2020 U.S. Open as she made the semifinals.
Sabalenka’s second title during the streak came at the Linz Open in Austria in November, where she defeated Elise Mertens of Belgium, the 2018 Australian Open semifinalist 7-5, 6-2 in the final. Seeded first, she only lost one set in the entire tournament.
From there Sabalenka opened 2021 with a win at Dubai. There she beat beat Veronika Kudermetova of Russia in the final, 6-2, 6-2. Among the other high-profile players Sabalenka beat in Abu Dhabi were Polona Hercog of Slovenia, Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia, Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, and Maria Sakkari of Greece.
In addition to winning the last three tournaments on the WTA Tour, Sabalenka won the Qatar Open last February. Her three titles in 2020 were tied for the most, alongside Romania’s Simona Halep.
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